Metallurgy

Materials science

Optoelectronics

Engineering

Composite material

Tandem

Nanotechnology

Energy conversion efficiency

Perovskite (structure)

Band gap

Chemical engineering

Nature Energy

Monolithic all-perovskite tandem solar cells offer an avenue to increase power conversion efficiency beyond the limits of single-junction cells. It is an important priority to unite efficiency, uniformity and stability, yet this has proven challenging because of high trap density and ready oxidation in narrow-bandgap mixed lead–tin perovskite subcells. Here we report simultaneous enhancements in the efficiency, uniformity and stability of narrow-bandgap subcells using strongly reductive surface-anchoring zwitterionic molecules. The zwitterionic antioxidant inhibits Sn2+ oxidation and passivates defects at the grain surfaces in mixed lead–tin perovskite films, enabling an efficiency of 21.7% (certified 20.7%) for single-junction solar cells. We further obtain a certified efficiency of 24.2% in 1-cm2-area all-perovskite tandem cells and in-lab power conversion efficiencies of 25.6% and 21.4% for 0.049 cm2 and 12 cm2 devices, respectively. The encapsulated tandem devices retain 88% of their initial performance following 500 hours of operation at a device temperature of 54–60 °C under one-sun illumination in ambient conditions. Ensuring both stability and efficiency in mixed lead–tin perovskite solar cells is crucial to the development of all-perovskite tandems. Xiao et al. use an antioxidant zwitterionic molecule to suppress tin oxidation thus enabling large-area tandem cells with 24.2% efficiency and operational stability over 500 hours.

All-perovskite tandem solar cells with 24.2% certified efficiency and area over 1 cm2 using surface-anchoring zwitterionic antioxidant