Non-fullerene electron-transporting materials for high-performance and stable perovskite solar cells

Kui Feng; Guoliang Wang; Qing Lian; Sergio Gámez-Valenzuela; Bolin Li; Riqing Ding; Wanli Yang; Keli Wang; Jie Zeng; Yong Zhang; Sang Young Jeong; Baomin Xu; Anita Ho-Baillie; Han Young Woo; Antonio Facchetti; Xugang Guo

doi:10.1038/s41563-025-02163-4

Non-fullerene electron-transporting materials for high-performance and stable perovskite solar cells

Kui Feng^*
, Guoliang Wang
, Qing Lian^*
, Sergio Gámez-Valenzuela
, Bolin Li
, Riqing Ding
, Wanli Yang
, Keli Wang
, Jie Zeng
, Yong Zhang
, Sang Young Jeong
, Baomin Xu
, Anita Ho-Baillie
, Han Young Woo
, Antonio Facchetti^*
, Xugang Guo^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The electron-transporting material (ETM) is a key component of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) optimizing electron extraction from perovskite to cathode. Fullerenes, specifically C₆₀ and [6,6]-phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), have been used as the benchmark ETMs for inverted PSCs. However, C₆₀ is restricted to thermal evaporation, and PCBM suffers from poor photothermal stability and suboptimal electron transport, limiting their PSC applications. Here a solution-processable non-fullerene ETM, cyano-functionalized bithiophene imide dimer (CNI2)-based polymer (PCNI2-BTI), holds multiple advantages, including excellent photothermal stability, efficient electron transport and improved interaction with the perovskite layer. Consequently, inverted PSCs incorporating PCNI2-BTI deliver an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.0% (certified 25.4%) and remarkable operational stability, with a T₈₀ approaching 1,300 h under ISOS-L-3. Moreover, we synthesize three additional CNI2-based polymer ETMs, yielding an average PCE of >25% in PSCs. These findings demonstrate unprecedented potential of non-fullerene ETMs enabling high-performance and stable PSCs.

Original language	English
Article number	e202305357
Pages (from-to)	770-777
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nature Materials
Volume	24
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02163-4
Publication status	Published - 2025 May

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2025.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
General Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering

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10.1038/s41563-025-02163-4

Cite this

Feng, K., Wang, G., Lian, Q., Gámez-Valenzuela, S., Li, B., Ding, R., Yang, W., Wang, K., Zeng, J., Zhang, Y., Jeong, S. Y., Xu, B., Ho-Baillie, A., Woo, H. Y., Facchetti, A., & Guo, X. (2025). Non-fullerene electron-transporting materials for high-performance and stable perovskite solar cells. Nature Materials, 24(5), 770-777. Article e202305357. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02163-4

Feng, K, Wang, G, Lian, Q, Gámez-Valenzuela, S, Li, B, Ding, R, Yang, W, Wang, K, Zeng, J, Zhang, Y, Jeong, SY, Xu, B, Ho-Baillie, A, Woo, HY, Facchetti, A & Guo, X 2025, 'Non-fullerene electron-transporting materials for high-performance and stable perovskite solar cells', Nature Materials, vol. 24, no. 5, e202305357, pp. 770-777. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02163-4

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abstract = "The electron-transporting material (ETM) is a key component of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) optimizing electron extraction from perovskite to cathode. Fullerenes, specifically C60 and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), have been used as the benchmark ETMs for inverted PSCs. However, C60 is restricted to thermal evaporation, and PCBM suffers from poor photothermal stability and suboptimal electron transport, limiting their PSC applications. Here a solution-processable non-fullerene ETM, cyano-functionalized bithiophene imide dimer (CNI2)-based polymer (PCNI2-BTI), holds multiple advantages, including excellent photothermal stability, efficient electron transport and improved interaction with the perovskite layer. Consequently, inverted PSCs incorporating PCNI2-BTI deliver an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.0\% (certified 25.4\%) and remarkable operational stability, with a T80 approaching 1,300 h under ISOS-L-3. Moreover, we synthesize three additional CNI2-based polymer ETMs, yielding an average PCE of >25\% in PSCs. These findings demonstrate unprecedented potential of non-fullerene ETMs enabling high-performance and stable PSCs.",

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AU - Gámez-Valenzuela, Sergio

AU - Li, Bolin

AU - Ding, Riqing

AU - Yang, Wanli

AU - Wang, Keli

AU - Zeng, Jie

AU - Zhang, Yong

AU - Jeong, Sang Young

AU - Xu, Baomin

AU - Ho-Baillie, Anita

AU - Woo, Han Young

AU - Facchetti, Antonio

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AB - The electron-transporting material (ETM) is a key component of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) optimizing electron extraction from perovskite to cathode. Fullerenes, specifically C60 and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), have been used as the benchmark ETMs for inverted PSCs. However, C60 is restricted to thermal evaporation, and PCBM suffers from poor photothermal stability and suboptimal electron transport, limiting their PSC applications. Here a solution-processable non-fullerene ETM, cyano-functionalized bithiophene imide dimer (CNI2)-based polymer (PCNI2-BTI), holds multiple advantages, including excellent photothermal stability, efficient electron transport and improved interaction with the perovskite layer. Consequently, inverted PSCs incorporating PCNI2-BTI deliver an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.0% (certified 25.4%) and remarkable operational stability, with a T80 approaching 1,300 h under ISOS-L-3. Moreover, we synthesize three additional CNI2-based polymer ETMs, yielding an average PCE of >25% in PSCs. These findings demonstrate unprecedented potential of non-fullerene ETMs enabling high-performance and stable PSCs.

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Non-fullerene electron-transporting materials for high-performance and stable perovskite solar cells

Abstract

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