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CMP
Credit: Jack Hobhouse

Shuaifeng Hu

Postdoctoral Research Assistant

Research theme

  • Photovoltaics and nanoscience

Sub department

  • Condensed Matter Physics

Research groups

  • Snaith group
shuaifeng.hu@physics.ox.ac.uk
Robert Hooke Building, room G24
Google Scholar
  • About
  • Publications

A Universal Surface Treatment for p-i-n Perovskite Solar Cells.

ACS applied materials & interfaces 14:50 (2022) 56290-56297

Authors:

Shuaifeng Hu, Jorge Pascual, Wentao Liu, Tsukasa Funasaki, Minh Anh Truong, Shota Hira, Ruito Hashimoto, Taro Morishita, Kyohei Nakano, Keisuke Tajima, Richard Murdey, Tomoya Nakamura, Atsushi Wakamiya

Abstract:

Perovskite interfaces critically influence the final performance of the photovoltaic devices. Optimizing them by reducing the defect densities or improving the contact with the charge transporting material is key to further enhance the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. Inverted (p-i-n) devices can particularly benefit here, as evident from various successful attempts. However, every reported strategy is adapted to specific cell structures and compositions, affecting their robustness and applicability by other researchers. In this work, we present the universality of perovskite top surface post-treatment with ethylenediammonium diiodide (EDAI2) for p-i-n devices. To prove it, we compare devices bearing perovskite films of different composition, i.e., Sn-, Pb-, and mixed Sn-Pb-based devices, achieving efficiencies of up to 11.4, 22.0, and 22.9%, respectively. A careful optimization of the EDAI2 thickness indicates a different tolerance for Pb- and Sn-based devices. The main benefit of this treatment is evident in the open-circuit voltage, with enhancements of up to 200 mV for some compositions. In addition, we prove that this treatment can be successfully applied by both wet (spin-coating) and dry (thermal evaporation) methods, regardless of the composition. The versatility of this treatment makes it highly appealing for industrial application, as it can be easily adapted to specific processing requirements. We present a detailed experimental protocol, aiming to provide the community with an easy, universal perovskite post-treatment method for reliably improving the device efficiency, highlighting the potential of interfaces for the field.
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Substrate-Independent and Antisolvent-Free Fabrication Method for Tin Perovskite Films via Imidazole-Complexed Intermediates

ACS Energy Letters American Chemical Society (ACS) (2025) 5047-5056

Authors:

Fuyuki Harata, Ryuji Kaneko, Shuaifeng Hu, Noboru Ohashi, Tomoya Nakamura, Minh Anh Truong, Richard Murdey, Atsushi Wakamiya
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Accessing Metal‐Containing Species in Tin–Lead Perovskite Precursor Solutions via Molecular Strategies Guided by the Hard–Soft Acid–Base Principle

Angewandte Chemie Wiley (2025) e202514010

Authors:

Shuaifeng Hu, Xinru Sun, Wentao Liu, Luca Gregori, Pei Zhao, Jorge Pascual, André Dallmann, Akash Dasgupta, Fengjiu Yang, Guixiang Li, Mahmoud Aldamasy, Silver‐Hamill Turren‐Cruz, Marion A Flatken, Sheng Fu, Yasuko Iwasaki, Richard Murdey, Armin Hoell, Susan Schorr, Steve Albrecht, Shangfeng Yang, Antonio Abate, Atsushi Wakamiya, Filippo De Angelis, Meng Li, Henry J Snaith

Abstract:

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The properties of metal‐centred species in metal halide perovskite precursor solutions substantially influence the formation and evolution of colloidal particles, which in turn dictate the crystallisation process and the film quality. In this work, we assess the “hard” and “soft” Lewis acid characteristics of Sn<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> and Pb<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup> cations as a strategy to modulate the chemical environment of these metal‐containing species in mixed‐metal tin–lead perovskite precursor solutions. We observe enhanced simultaneous access to both metal centres upon adding compounds with functional groups suggested by the hard–soft acid–base principle. Theoretical calculations suggest that the hard base carboxyl group preferentially interacts with Sn<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup>‐based species, while the softer base thiol group also targets Pb<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup>‐based species. By effectively accessing and manipulating possible classes of inorganic species and their colloidal particle properties in the precursor solutions, we achieve 1.26 eV perovskite polycrystalline films exhibiting enhanced structural and optoelectronic quality, giving the best quasi‐Fermi level splitting values of up to 0.95 eV. As a result, the solar cell devices demonstrate efficiency values of up to 23.3% with an extended operational lifetime, retaining 80% of their initial efficiency after over 280 and 180 h of maximum power point tracking under simulated AM1.5G illumination at 25 and 65 °C, respectively.</jats:p>
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Accessing Metal‐Containing Species in Tin–Lead Perovskite Precursor Solutions via Molecular Strategies Guided by the Hard–Soft Acid–Base Principle

Angewandte Chemie International Edition Wiley (2025) e202514010

Authors:

Shuaifeng Hu, Xinru Sun, Wentao Liu, Luca Gregori, Pei Zhao, Jorge Pascual, André Dallmann, Akash Dasgupta, Fengjiu Yang, Guixiang Li, Mahmoud Aldamasy, Silver‐Hamill Turren‐Cruz, Marion A Flatken, Sheng Fu, Yasuko Iwasaki, Richard Murdey, Armin Hoell, Susan Schorr, Steve Albrecht, Shangfeng Yang, Antonio Abate, Atsushi Wakamiya, Filippo De Angelis, Meng Li, Henry J Snaith

Abstract:

The properties of metal‐centred species in metal halide perovskite precursor solutions substantially influence the formation and evolution of colloidal particles, which in turn dictate the crystallisation process and the film quality. In this work, we assess the “hard” and “soft” Lewis acid characteristics of Sn2+ and Pb2+ cations as a strategy to modulate the chemical environment of these metal‐containing species in mixed‐metal tin–lead perovskite precursor solutions. We observe enhanced simultaneous access to both metal centres upon adding compounds with functional groups suggested by the hard–soft acid–base principle. Theoretical calculations suggest that the hard base carboxyl group preferentially interacts with Sn2+‐based species, while the softer base thiol group also targets Pb2+‐based species. By effectively accessing and manipulating possible classes of inorganic species and their colloidal particle properties in the precursor solutions, we achieve 1.26 eV perovskite polycrystalline films exhibiting enhanced structural and optoelectronic quality, giving the best quasi‐Fermi level splitting values of up to 0.95 eV. As a result, the solar cell devices demonstrate efficiency values of up to 23.3% with an extended operational lifetime, retaining 80% of their initial efficiency after over 280 and 180 h of maximum power point tracking under simulated AM1.5G illumination at 25 and 65 °C, respectively.
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Exposing binding-favourable facets of perovskites for tandem solar cells

Energy & Environmental Science Royal Society of Chemistry 18 (2025) 7680-7694

Authors:

Junke Wang, Shuaifeng Hu, Zehua Chen, Zhongcheng Yuan, Pei Zhao, Akash Dasgupta, Fengning Yang, Jin Yao, Minh Anh Truong, Gunnar Kusch, Esther Hung, Nick Schipper, Laura Bellini, Guus Aalbers, Zonghao Liu, Rachel Oliver, Atsushi Wakamiya, René Janssen, Henry Snaith

Abstract:

Improved understanding of heterojunction interfaces has enabled multijunction photovoltaic devices to achieve power conversion efficiencies that exceed the detailed-balance limit for single-junctions. For wide-bandgap perovskites, however, the pronounced energy loss across the heterojunctions of the active and charge transport layers impedes multijunction devices from reaching their full efficiency potential. Here we find that for polycrystalline perovskite films with mixed-halide compositions, the crystal termination—a factor influencing the reactivity and density of surface sites—plays a crucial role in interfacial passivation for wide-bandgap perovskites. We demonstrate that by templating the growth of polycrystalline perovskite films toward a preferred (100) facet, we can reduce the density of deep-level trap states and enhance the binding of modification ligands. This leads to a much-improved heterojunction interface, resulting in open-circuit voltages of 1.38 V for 1.77-eV single-junction perovskite solar cells. In addition, monolithic all-perovskite double-junction solar cells achieve open-circuit voltage values of up to 2.22 V, with maximum power point tracking efficiencies reaching 28.6% and 27.7% at 0.25 and 1.0 cm2 cell areas, respectively, along with improved operational and thermal stability at 85 °C. This work provides universally applicable insights into the crystalline facet-favourable surface modification of perovskite films, advancing their performance in optoelectronic applications.
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