Inorganic CsPbI3 Perovskite Coating on PbS Quantum Dot for Highly Efficient and Stable Infrared Light Converting Solar Cells

Solution-processed colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells harvesting the infrared part of the solar spectrum are especially interesting for future use in semitransparent windows or multilayer solar cells. To improve the device power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of the solar cells, surface passivation of the quantum dots is vital in the research of CQD solar cells. Herein, inorganic CsPbI3 perovskite (CsPbI3-P) coating on PbS CQDs with a low-temperature, solution-processed approach is reported. The PbS CQD solar cell with CsPbI3-P coating gives a high PCE of 10.5% and exhibits remarkable stability both under long-term constant illumination and storage under ambient conditions. Detailed characterization and analysis reveal improved passivation of the PbS CQDs with the CsPbI3-P coating, and the results suggest that the lattice coherence between CsPbI3-P and PbS results in epitaxial induced growth of the CsPbI3-P coating. The improved passivation significantly diminishes the sub-bandgap trap-state assisted recombination, leading to improved charge collection and therefore higher photovoltaic performance. This work therefore provides important insight to improve the CQD passivation by coating with an inorganic perovskite ligand for photovoltaics or other optoelectronic applications.