Proceedings of International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV24)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.hopv.2024.086
Publication date: 6th February 2024
In this presentation we will follow the history of spiro-OMeTAD as a high-performance solid-state charge-transfer material which was central to the development of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells and perovskite solar cells. The original objective was to replace the liquid, corrosive iodide-based electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells with a more benign solid material. Spiro-linked solid-state hole transport materials were originally developed for their application in OLEDs. Spiro-OMeTAD was a slightly modified version of the original molecules and featured eight methoxy-groups, following the rational that these groups would help to shift the energy levels to facilitate efficient hole-transfer from a photooxidised dye. Doping through partial oxidation and blending with lithium salts and pyridine derivatives further helped to boost the performance of these materials. In 2012 the use of spiro-OMeTAD enabled the fabrication of the first solid-state perovskite solar cells, overcoming stability and performance limitations of the photoelectrochemical perovskite solar cells used hitherto. Twelve years later spiro-OMeTAD still remains the most-commonly used hole transport material in perovskite solar cells.