Eco-Friendly Boost for Perovskite Photovoltaics: Harnessing Cellulose-Modified SnO₂ as a High-Performance Electron Transporting Material

In this study, a passivated tin oxide (SnO2) film is successfully obtained through the implementation of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC) modifier agent and used as the electron transporting layer (ETL) within the assembly of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The strategic incorporation of the Na-CMC modifier agent yields discernible enhancements in the optoelectronic properties of the ETL. Among the fabricated cells, the champion cell based on Na-CMC-complexed SnO2 ETL achieves a conversion efficiency of 22.2% with an open-circuit voltage (V-OC) of 1.12 V, short-circuit current density (J(SC)) of 24.57 mA/cm(2), and fill factor (FF) of 80.6%. On the other hand, these values are measured for the pristine SnO2 ETL-based control cell as V-OC = 1.11 V, J(SC) = 23.59 mA/cm(2), and FF = 76.7% with an efficiency of 20.1%. This improvement can be ascribed to the high charge extraction ability, higher optical transmittance, better conductivity, and decrease in the trap state density associated with the passivated ETL structure. In addition, the cells employing Na-CMC-complexed SnO2 ETL exhibit prolonged stability under ambient conditions during 2000 h. Based on the preliminary results, this study also presents a set of findings that could have substantial implications for the potential use of the Na-CMC molecule in both large-scale perovskite cells and perovskite/Si tandem configuration.