Improved Processability and Efficiency of Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells Based on Organic Hole Transport Layers

High-efficiency solid-state-ligand-exchange (SSE) step-free colloidal quantum dot photovoltaic (CQDPV) devices are developed by employing CQD ink based active layers and organic (Polythieno[3,4-b]-thiophene-co-benzodithiophene (PTB7) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)) based hole transport layers (HTLs). The device using PTB7 as an HTL exhibits superior performance to that using the current leading organic HTL, P3HT, because of favorable energy levels, higher hole mobility, and facilitated interfacial charge transfer. The PTB7 based device achieves power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.60%, which is the highest among reported CQDPVs using organic HTLs. This result is also comparable to the PCE of an optimized device based on a thiol-exchanged p-type CQD, the current-state-of-the-art HTL. From the viewpoint of device processing, the fabrication of CQDPVs is achieved by direct single-coating of CQD active layers and organic HTLs at low temperature without SSE steps. The experimental results and device simulation results in this work suggest that further engineering of organic HTL materials can open new doors to improve the performance and processing of CQDPVs.