Enhancing Quantum Dot Solar Cells Stability with a Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Interlayer Below the Top Anode

Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWNTs) are used as a protective interlayer between the lead sulfide colloidal quantum dot (PbS CQD) active layer and the anode of the solar cells (SCs). The introduction of the carbon nanotubes leads to increased device stability, with 85% of the initial performance retained after 100 h exposure to simulated solar light in ambient condition. This is in sharp contrast with the behavior of the device without s-SWNTs, for which the photoconversion efficiency, the open circuit voltage, the short-circuit current, and the fill factor all experiencing a sharp decrease. Therefore, the inclusion of s-SWNT as interlayer in CQD SCs, give rise to SCs of identical efficiency (above 8.5%) and prevents their performance degradation.