Inorganic lead-free antimony-based perovskite-inspired solar cells with a carbon electrode and green anti-solvent regulation

The emergence of inorganic antimony (Sb)-based perovskite-inspired solar cells simultaneously overcomes the poor stability and toxicity of lead (Pb)-based perovskite solar cells. However, in addition to reducing the toxicity of the device itself, further reducing the toxicity in the preparation process is also a necessary condition for commercialization. Herein, different anti-solvents have been used to precisely regulate the nucleation process and improve the quality of the films. Among them, the film with green anisole as a novel anti-solvent shows a dense surface morphology with good crystallinity and presents better light absorption. As a reward, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the champion device can reach 2.07% with low-cost carbon electrodes, which is improved by 470% in comparison with 0.44% for the control device without anti-solvent, and it is one of the top values for inorganic antimony (Sb)-based perovskite-inspired solar cells. In addition, the device exhibits good thermal and air stability without humidity control. This work will provide a new way to prepare highly efficient lead-free antimony-based perovskite-inspired solar cells.