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Vol. 18 (2026)

Taming Lattice Strain via Buried Interface Engineering for Reverse-Bias Resilient Perovskite Solar Cells

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02244-2
Niqian Du
Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Semiconductor and Functional Device Integration, School of Physic, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 45007, People’s Republic of China
Shanshan Du
Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Semiconductor and Functional Device Integration, School of Physic, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 45007, People’s Republic of China
Yaru Du
Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Semiconductor and Functional Device Integration, School of Physic, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 45007, People’s Republic of China
Xiaobo Zhang
Henan Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Energy Storage Material and Application, School of Physics and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, People’s Republic of China
Xiaoyi Hou
Henan Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Energy Storage Material and Application, School of Physics and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, People’s Republic of China
Chi Feng
Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Semiconductor and Functional Device Integration, School of Physic, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 45007, People’s Republic of China
Rongdong Xiang
Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Semiconductor and Functional Device Integration, School of Physic, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 45007, People’s Republic of China
Xin Wu
Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Heping Fu
Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Semiconductor and Functional Device Integration, School of Physic, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 45007, People’s Republic of China
Zhiyong Liu
Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Semiconductor and Functional Device Integration, School of Physic, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 45007, People’s Republic of China
Tingwei He
College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, People’s Republic of China
Kaikai Liu
Henan Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Energy Storage Material and Application, School of Physics and Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Kaikai Liu

kkliu@haust.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 387

Abstract

Inverted perovskite solar cells have achieved exceptional efficiencies, yet their operational stability, particularly under reverse-bias stress, remains a critical challenge. This instability is fundamentally driven by lattice strain, which lowers ion migration barriers and promotes defect formation. Here, we identify the buried hole-transport-layer/perovskite interface as the principal site of strain accumulation. By incorporating 3-fluorothiophene-2-carboxylic acid (3F-2TC) at this buried HTL/perovskite interface, we directly engineer the initial perovskite crystallization template. This buried interface engineering strategy effectively alleviates intrinsic lattice strain, as unambiguously confirmed by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction analysis. Crucially, we utilize reverse-bias stress as a diagnostic probe to decouple strain relaxation from mere defect passivation, revealing that a low-strain lattice constitutes the primary defense against bias-induced degradation. Consequently, the champion devices achieve a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.10% and markedly enhanced stability, retaining 91.58% of their initial PCE after 200 h under − 1.0 V reverse bias. This work thereby establishes the buried interface engineering for strain modulation as a generalizable design principle toward efficient and operationally resilient perovskite photovoltaics.


Highlights:
1 Modulating perovskite lattice strain, beyond merely managing ion migration or passivating defects, is pivotal for device efficiency and stability.
2 Buried interface engineering simultaneously optimizes the hole-transport-layer, templates film growth and passivates defects, thereby mitigating perovskite lattice strain.
3 Inverted perovskite solar cells achieve a power conversion efficiency of 26.10% with exceptional stability under reverse-bias, thermal, and operational stresses.

Keywords

Buried HTL/perovskite interface Lattice strain Reverse-bias Stability Perovskite solar cells
Du, Niqian, Shanshan Du, Yaru Du, Xiaobo Zhang, Xiaoyi Hou, Chi Feng, Rongdong Xiang, Xin Wu, Heping Fu, Zhiyong Liu, Tingwei He, and Kaikai Liu. 2026. “Taming Lattice Strain via Buried Interface Engineering for Reverse-Bias Resilient Perovskite Solar Cells”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (May):387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02244-2.
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