Boosting Efficiency and UV Resistance in Perovskite Solar Cells via Sunscreen Ingredient Octinoxate

UV radiation presents a substantial challenge to the stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), limiting their applications in harsh environments such as outer space. Herein, UV-resistant molecule octinoxate (OCT) is introduced to mitigate the adverse effects of UV irradiation. OCT additive demonstrates the capability to modulate the crystallization process, resulting in perovskite films with larger grains and enhanced crystallinity. Moreover, OCT doping also facilitates charge extraction in PSCs. The PSCs with OCT doping exhibit an enhanced efficiency, increasing from 22.46% to 24.64%, along with improved stability with a T₈₅ of 1000 h under continuous light exposure. Functioning as a sunscreen material, OCT mitigates UV-induced degradation by absorbing irradiation and hindering I₂ escape. Even after continuous exposure to 18.7 kWh m⁻² UV illumination, the OCT-doped PSCs maintain over 92% of their initial efficiency, meeting the 15 kWh m⁻² UV exposure requirement specified in the IEC:61215 PV robustness testing standard. This study offers a straightforward approach to enhance the durability of PSCs under UV radiation, opening avenues for their application in extreme environments.