Influence of aluminum doping on the structural, optical, and photovoltaic characteristics of sol-gel-prepared MAPbI<sub>2</sub>Br perovskite thin films

Khan, M. I.; Hussain, Saddam; Mustafa, Ghulam M.; Amami, Mongi; Laref, A.; Mnif, Wissem; Algarni, Zaina; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Margarita; Pellegrini-Cervantes, Manuel J.; Khan, M. I.; Hussain, Saddam; Mustafa, Ghulam M.; Amami, Mongi; Laref, A.; Mnif, Wissem; Algarni, Zaina; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Margarita; Pellegrini-Cervantes, Manuel J.

doi:2025.62.1.187

J. Korean Ceram. Soc. > Volume 62(1); 2025 > Article

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society 2025;62(1): 187-196.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43207-024-00457-y

Influence of aluminum doping on the structural, optical, and photovoltaic characteristics of sol-gel-prepared MAPbI₂Br perovskite thin films

M. I. Khan¹, Saddam Hussain²

, Ghulam M. Mustafa³, Mongi Amami⁴, A. Laref⁵, Wissem Mnif⁶, Zaina Algarni⁷, Margarita Rodríguez-Rodríguez², Manuel J. Pellegrini-Cervantes²

¹Department of Physics, The University of Lahore, Lahore, 53700, Pakistan
²Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Fuente de Poseidón y Prol. Ángel Flores S/N, 81223, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, México
³Department of Physics, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, 54770, Punjab, Pakistan
⁴Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, 61413, Abha, Saudi Arabia
⁵Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
⁶Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences at Bisha, University of Bisha, P.O. BOX 199, 61922, Bisha, Saudi Arabia
⁷Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences at Bisha, University of Bisha, P.O. BOX 199, 61922, Bisha, Saudi Arabia

Correspondence

Saddam Hussain ,Email: s.hussain.fi m@uas.edu.mx

Received: February 14, 2024; Revised: July 15, 2024 Accepted: August 31, 2024. Published online: December 10, 2024.

ABSTRACT

Employed sol-gel synthesis to fabricate undoped and (2, 4 wt.%) Al-doped MAPbI₂Br films for perovskite solar cells. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the cubic structure of MAPbI₂Br. The 2 wt.% Al-doped film exhibited a larger crystallite size. UV–Vis spectroscopy revealed a small bandgap energy of 1.95 eV and a high refractive index at 2 wt.% Al doping. These films were integrated into perovskite solar cells. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) demonstrated a significant decrease in recombination rate with Al doping. Incorporating 2 wt.% aluminum (Al) doping into MAPbI₂Br led to a higher conduction band minimum (CBM) compared to pristine perovskite, suppressing interfacial recombination and increasing V_oc in solar cells. Our investigation highlighted that optimal 2 wt.% Al doping reduced carrier concentration while enhancing carrier mobility, thereby improving the charge collection efficiency of photoexcited electrons at the FTO electrode and increasing short-circuit current density (J_sc). The resulting 2 wt.% Al-doped MAPbI₂Br achieved maximum values of J_sc = 10.97 mA-cm⁻², fill factor (FF) = 0.773, V_oc = 1.09 V, and efficiency = 8.99%, showcasing its potential for low-cost perovskite technology. These findings offer valuable insights for identifying and developing new photovoltaic materials.

Key words: Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy · Refractive index · Aluminum · Doping · Perovskite solar cells