Research Highlights

2D MoS₂ Templates Unlock High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells

April 21, 2025

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Enhanced growth of photoactive perovskite phase (α-FAPI) by functionalized 2D MoS₂ nanosheet additives.

Scientific Achievement

Using functionalized 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanosheets, researchers from Stony Brook University (SBU), The City University of New York (CUNY), and Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) templated growth of the photoactive perovskite phase, boosting both solar cell efficiency and stability.

Significance and Impact

The work reveals a new mechanism by which 2D additives control crystallization and boost hybrid perovskite performance for solar energy conversion and optoelectronics applications.

Research Details

Researchers from SBU, CUNY, and CFN have demonstrated that functionalized 2D MoS₂ nanosheets can significantly enhance the crystallization, photovoltaic efficiency, and stability of hybrid perovskite solar cells. Acting as a template, the nanosheets direct the formation of the photoactive perovskite phase over undesirable intermediates, leading to improved optoelectronic properties. In-situ synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) revealed the nanosheets’ role in optimizing perovskite growth. As a result, solar cells incorporating these 2D additives achieved an impressive 22.5% efficiency with enhanced stability under ambient air and elevated temperatures. This work identifies a new mechanism by which 2D materials control perovskite crystallization, offering a scalable pathway to improved renewable energy and optoelectronic device performance.

• Ligand-functionalized 2D MoS₂ nanosheet additives enhance hybrid perovskite crystallization and photovoltaic properties.
• In-situ synchrotron X-ray scattering (WAXS), electron microscopy, and SIMS reveal the templating effect of 2D MoS₂.
• Solar cells incorporating the additive reach 22.5% efficiency, with excellent stability in air and at elevated temperatures.

Publication Reference

Y. Yin, Y. Zhou, S. Fu, Y.-C. Lin, X. Zuo,A. Raut, Y. Zhang, E.H.R. Tsai, M. Li, F. Lu, C. Zhou, T.-D. Li, K. Kisslinger, M. Cotlet, C.-Y. Nam*, M. Rafailovich*, “Template-Assisted Growth of High-Quality α-phase FAPbI3 Crystals in Perovskite Solar Cells Using Thiol-Functionalized MoS₂ Nanosheets”, ACS Nano 18, 30816 (2024).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c11268

Acknowledgment of Support

This research was performed at the Materials Synthesis and Characterization, and Electron Microscopy Facilities of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), and at the Complex Materials Scattering (CMS) beamline of the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), which are U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facilities, at Brookhaven National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-SC0012704. The research was also supported by the Office of Naval Research under Contract No. N000142012858. The authors acknowledge the use of the facilities at the Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC) at the City University of New York, and the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC) at Stony Brook University.

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