Enhanced performance of tin halide perovskite solar cell by addition of lead thiocyanate

Organic–inorganic hybrid halide perovskites have attracted great attention as a new type of photovoltaic materials. However, lead (Pb) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) would cause environmental pollution in future large-scale applications. Therefore, it is imperative to find environmentally-friendly metals to replace lead. Although tin (Sn) halide perovskites can be regarded as a valid alternative to lead perovskites, their poor stability and lower conversion efficiency hinder the substitution of Sn for Pb. In this work, highly uniform and pinhole-free perovskite films were prepared by the introduction of a small amount of lead thiocyanate in precursor solutions. The CH(3)NH(3)SnI(3) (MASnI(3)) films with Pb additive show an absorption edge of 950 nm. Besides, lead ions can depress the LUMO energy level of Sn-based perovskite materials, which is a benefit to an increase in the opencircuit voltages of PSCs. Consequently, the enhanced performance was achieved in the PSCs based on MASnI(3) with a fill factor of 66%, open circuit voltage of 0.54 V and maximum power conversion efficiency of 6.03%.