Interface Engineering of SnO₂ Electron Transport Layers Using Molecular, Polymeric, and Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene Modifications for Enhanced Perovskite Optoelectronic Performance
Abstract
Efficient charge extraction and suppression of interfacial recombination are critical for achieving high-performance perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. In this study, interface engineering of the SnO₂ electron transport layer (ETL) was investigated using complementary molecular, polymeric, and conductive nanomaterial-based modification strategies. Pristine SnO₂ was employed as the reference ETL, while 2PACz self-assembled monolayer (SAM), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene were introduced to modify the SnO₂ surface or bulk electronic transport pathways. The influence of these treatments on the structural, morphological, chemical, optical, and electronic characteristics of the ETL/perovskite interface was systematically investigated using X-ray diffraction, FE-SEM, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, steady-state photoluminescence, time-resolved photoluminescence, current–voltage measurements, and external quantum efficiency analysis. The interface modifications were found to influence surface uniformity, chemical environment, defect-related recombination, and charge-transfer characteristics without fundamentally altering the underlying device architecture. Molecular and polymeric modification primarily provided surface and chemical control, whereas Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene offered an additional conductive pathway for electron transport within the SnO₂ matrix. The study provides a systematic framework for designing modified SnO₂ interfaces for improved charge extraction and reduced interfacial losses in perovskite optoelectronic devices.
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