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Vol. 17 (2025)

Grain Boundaries Contribute to the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells by Promoting Charge Separations

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01795-0
Peng Xu
Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of China
Pengfei Wang
Key Laboratory of Materials Modification By Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, People’s Republic of China
Minhuan Wang
Key Laboratory of Materials Modification By Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, People’s Republic of China
Fengke Sun
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, People’s Republic of China
Jing Leng
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, People’s Republic of China
Yantao Shi
State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry, Frontier Science Center for Smart Materials, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, People’s Republic of China
Shengye Jin
Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of China
Wenming Tian
State Key Laboratory of Chemical Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Wenming Tian

tianwm@dicp.ac.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 17 (2025), Article Number: 285

Abstract

Historically seen as a limitation, grain boundaries (GBs) within polycrystalline metal halide perovskite (MHP) films are thought to impede charge transport, adversely impacting the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, we employ home-built confocal photoluminescence microscopy, combined with photocurrent detection modules, to directly visualize the carrier dynamics in the MHP film of PSCs under real operating conditions. Our findings suggest that GBs in high-efficiency PSCs function as carrier transport channels, where a notable enhancement in photocurrent is observed. Femtosecond transient absorption and Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements further validate the existence of a built-in electric field in the vicinity of GBs, offering additional driving force for charge separation and establishing channels for swift carrier transport along the GBs, thereby expediting subsequent charge collection processes. This study elucidates the pivotal role of GBs in operational PSCs and provides valuable insights for the fabrication of high-efficiency PSCs.


Highlights:
1 Sub-micrometer-resolved photocurrent mapping in operational perovskite solar cells, achieved through our home-built photoluminescence and photocurrent imaging microscopy, reveals enhanced photocurrent at grain boundaries compared to grain interiors.
2 Local pump-probe femtosecond transient absorption and Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements corroborate the presence of a built-in electric field in the vicinity of grain boundaries that promotes electron–hole separation and the subsequent charge collection, thereby contributing to the performance of perovskite solar cells.

Keywords

Perovskite solar cells Grain boundary Photocurrent mapping Stark effect Carrier dynamics
Xu, Peng, Pengfei Wang, Minhuan Wang, Fengke Sun, Jing Leng, Yantao Shi, Shengye Jin, and Wenming Tian. 2025. “Grain Boundaries Contribute to the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells by Promoting Charge Separations”. Nano-Micro Letters 17 (June):285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01795-0.
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