Perovskite Solar Cells with Low-Cost TiO₂ Mesoporous Photoanodes Prepared by Rapid Low-Temperature (70 °C) Plasma Processing

Abstract

This work introduces a novel method of low-temperature (70 °C) ambient-air plasma treatment for the rapid fabrication of mesoporous titania/polysiloxane thin films in perovskite solar cells. The mesoporous titania/polysiloxane nanocomposite mesoporous layers were prepared using wet coating compatible with plasma post-treatment, leading to a significant and rapid (1 min) removal of the organic part of the polysiloxane binder, together with its transformation into amorphous silica. The application of a plasma-processed mesoporous titania/silica photoanode in a perovskite solar cell resulted in a power conversion efficiency of ∼12%, demonstrating for the first time the feasibility of such a cold plasma processing approach for perovskite solar cell manufacture.