Breakthrough in Nanotechnology: Carbon Nanoparticles Yield Enhanced Solar Cell Efficiency

Researchers at South China University of Technology have made a significant breakthrough in the field of nanotechnology, developing a novel strategy for enhancing the efficiency of solar cells. The team, led by Nianqing Fu, introduced a "three-in-one" approach that employs a bilayered carbon rear electrode featuring a thin interlayer of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI)-incorporated carbon nanoparticles. This innovative design has resulted in hole-transport-layer-free carbon-based perovskite solar cells (HTL-free C-PSCs) with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.84%, representing a 20.2% increase over devices without the interlayer.

Key Takeaways:

• The research team developed a "three-in-one" strategy for enhancing the efficiency of solar cells, which involves a bilayered carbon rear electrode with a thin interlayer of TBAI-incorporated carbon nanoparticles.
• TBAI acts as a dispersant, enabling deposition of a uniform interlayer that forms a seamless perovskite/carbon contact and facilitates rapid interfacial charge transfer.
• The TBAI incorporated interlayer exhibits an increased work function of 5.21 eV, establishing a cascade band alignment between the valence band of MAPbI3 and the WF of the conductive carbon layer to enhance hole extraction.
• The HTL-free C-PSCs with the TBAI interlayer showed a PCE of 14.84%, representing a 20.2% increase over devices without the interlayer.
• The research has the potential to revolutionize the field of solar energy conversion and reduce the cost of solar cells.
• The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

Statistics:

• 20.2% increase in the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of HTL-free C-PSCs with the TBAI interlayer compared to devices without the interlayer.
• 5.21 eV increased work function of the TBAI incorporated interlayer.
• 14.84% PCE achieved by the HTL-free C-PSCs with the TBAI interlayer.

Sources:

• Multifunctional Carbon Nanoparticle Interlayer Enables Efficient Hole-transport-layer-free Carbon-based Perovskite Solar Cells. Acs Applied Energy Materials, 2025.
• NewsRx LLC, Investigators at South China University of Technology Report Findings in Carbon Nanoparticles (Multifunctional Carbon Nanoparticle Interlayer Enables Efficient Hole-transport-layer-free Carbon-based Perovskite Solar Cells). Nanotechnology Weekly. October 13, 2025; p 571.