Quantum Dot-Based Interface Engineering in Perovskite Solar Cells

André Felipe Vale Fonseca^a^,^b, Guilherme M Germano^a, Charles A N Almeida^a^,^c, Lucas Scalon^a, Alvaro C Barra^a, Douglas S Ribeiro^a, Zeno C Brandão^c, Francisco C Marques^c, Ana F Nogueira^a

^aLaboratory of Nanotechnology and Solar Energy, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas – UNICAMP, P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, 13083-970, Brazil

^bInstitute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Castellón de la Plana, 12006, Spain

^cGleb Wataghin Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, São Paulo 13083-859, Brazil

Proceedings of MATSUS Fall 2025 Conference (MATSUSFall25)

A4 Fundamental understanding of halide perovskite materials and devices - #PeroFun

València, Spain, 2025 October 20th - 24th

Organizers: Krishanu Dey, Iván Mora-Seró and Yana Vaynzof

Oral, André Felipe Vale Fonseca, presentation 302
Publication date: 21st July 2025

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) exhibit excellent efficiencies, but face challenges related to interfacial and environmental stability.¹ Here, we present two quantum dot (QD)-based strategies to address these limitations. In the first, CdS QDs are introduced as an interfacial layer between SnO₂ and the perovskite absorber. This approach reduces surface oxygen vacancies and hydroxyl groups, as confirmed by XPS, while Kelvin probe force microscopy reveals enhanced surface potential uniformity. Perovskite films grown on CdS-passivated SnO₂ show larger grain sizes and reduced PL intensity, suggesting improved charge extraction. Time-resolved PL confirms a significant increase in electron transfer rate leading to ~15% higher device efficiency. Previously, we also investigated halide exchange at the heterojunction between perovskite QDs and 3D perovskite films using in situ photoluminescence.² By extracting the activation energy of the Br-to-I exchange, we demonstrate its role in defect passivation and suppression of bimolecular recombination. QDs also enable favorable energy level alignment, enhancing hole extraction and stability under thermal stress. Their hydrophobic ligands further protect the perovskite against moisture ingress. In summary QD-based interfacial engineering strategies can improve both performance and durability of PSCs.

References:

[1] Luo, Z.; Yin, W.; Wang, J.; Hua, Y.; Zhou, Z.; Zhang, W.; Chen, S.; Zhang, X.; Zheng, W. Quantum Dots Enable Perovskite Solar Cells Performance: Interactions, Mechanisms, Progresses, and Future Perspectives. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2025, 2419268.

[2] Fonseca, A. F. V.; Scalon, L.; Vale, B. R. C.; Guaita, M. G. D.; Bettini, J.; Brandão, Z. C.; Zagonel, L. F.; Padilha, L. A.; Nogueira, A. F. In Situ PL Tracking of Halide Exchange at 3D/QD Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cells. ACS Energy Lett. 2024, 9 (6), 3177–3186.

Acknowledgements:

We acknowledge FAPESP for the financial support under grants 2024/05914-5, 2023/10395-4, and 2017/11986-5, as well as Shell and the strategic importance of the support provided by ANP (Brazil’s National Oil, Natural Gas, and Biofuels Agency).

nanoGe is a prestigious brand of successful science conferences that are developed along the year in different areas of the world since 2009. Our worldwide conferences cover cutting-edge materials topics like perovskite solar cells, photovoltaics, optoelectronics, solar fuel conversion, surface science, catalysis and two-dimensional materials, among many others.

MATSUS

Previously nanoGe Spring Meeting (NSM) and nanoGe Fall Meeting (NFM), MATSUS is a multiple symposia conference focused on a broad set of topics of advanced materials preparation, their fundamental properties, and their applications, in fields such as renewable energy, photovoltaics, lighting, semiconductor quantum dots, 2-D materials synthesis, charge carriers dynamics, microscopy and spectroscopy semiconductors fundamentals, etc.

International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics

International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV) is celebrated yearly in May. The main topics are the development, function and modeling of materials and devices for hybrid and organic solar cells. The field is now dominated by perovskite solar cells but also other hybrid technologies, as organic solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, and dye-sensitized solar cells and their integration into devices for photoelectrochemical solar fuel production.

Asia-Pacific International Conference on Perovskite, Organic Photovoltaics and Optoelectronics

The main topics of the Asia-Pacific International Conference on Perovskite, Organic Photovoltaics and Optoelectronics (IPEROP) are discussed every year in Asia-Pacific for gathering the recent advances in the fields of material preparation, modeling and fabrication of perovskite and hybrid and organic materials. Photovoltaic devices are analyzed from fundamental physics and materials properties to a broad set of applications. The conference also covers the developments of perovskite optoelectronics, including light-emitting diodes, lasers, optical devices, nanophotonics, nonlinear optical properties, colloidal nanostructures, photophysics and light-matter coupling.

International Conference on Perovskite Thin Film Photovoltaics Perovskite Photonics and Optoelectronics

The International Conference on Perovskite Thin Film Photovoltaics Perovskite Photonics and Optoelectronics (NIPHO) is the best place to hear the latest developments in perovskite solar cells as well as on recent advances in the fields of perovskite light-emitting diodes, lasers, optical devices, nanophotonics, nonlinear optical properties, colloidal nanostructures, photophysics and light-matter coupling.