SAMs-Mediated Interfacial Revolution in Perovskite Photovoltaics: Rational Molecular Engineering, Mechanistic Decoding and Versatile Device Implementation

Fu, Shide; Xiong, Bowen; Ouyang, Yu; Shen, Chang; Chen, Shenghai; Xiong, Deping; Zhang, Xiaoli; Feng, Zuyong

doi:10.3390/coatings16091076

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SAMs-Mediated Interfacial Revolution in Perovskite Photovoltaics: Rational Molecular Engineering, Mechanistic Decoding and Versatile Device Implementation

by

Shide Fu

^†,

Bowen Xiong

^†,

Yu Ouyang

,

Chang Shen

,

Shenghai Chen

,

Deping Xiong

,

Xiaoli Zhang

^*

and

Zuyong Feng

^*

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensing Physics and System Integration Applications, School of Physics and Opto-Electronic Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Coatings 2026, 16(9), 1076; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16091076

Submission received: 11 August 2026 / Revised: 23 August 2026 / Accepted: 7 September 2026 / Published: 9 September 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multilayer Thin Films: Fabrication and Interface Engineering)

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Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as a research hotspot in photovoltaics owing to their high power conversion efficiency (PCE), low fabrication cost, and simple preparation processes. However, their commercialization remains constrained by interfacial defects, non-radiative recombination, and limited scalability. Self-assembled molecules (SAMs), as a critical interfacial engineering tool, can significantly enhance device performance through defect passivation, energy band alignment, and crystallization regulation. Following the main theme of “molecular design—mechanistic understanding—application expansion,” this review systematically summarizes the structure–property relationships between SAMs architecture (anchoring groups, connecting backbones, and terminal functional groups) and their interfacial regulation mechanisms, with a particular focus on the important role of SAMs uniformity in governing interfacial quality, charge carrier transport, and device stability. The article presents multi-scale characterization techniques for evaluating SAMs interfacial properties, reviews the application progress of SAMs in rigid devices, flexible devices, and large-area modules, and finally discusses their future expansion directions in emerging fields such as tandem solar cells, flexible electronics.

Keywords: perovskite solar cells; self-assembled molecules; interface engineering; regulation strategies; performance improvement

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MDPI and ACS Style

Fu, S.; Xiong, B.; Ouyang, Y.; Shen, C.; Chen, S.; Xiong, D.; Zhang, X.; Feng, Z. SAMs-Mediated Interfacial Revolution in Perovskite Photovoltaics: Rational Molecular Engineering, Mechanistic Decoding and Versatile Device Implementation. Coatings 2026, 16, 1076. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16091076

AMA Style

Fu S, Xiong B, Ouyang Y, Shen C, Chen S, Xiong D, Zhang X, Feng Z. SAMs-Mediated Interfacial Revolution in Perovskite Photovoltaics: Rational Molecular Engineering, Mechanistic Decoding and Versatile Device Implementation. Coatings. 2026; 16(9):1076. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16091076

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fu, Shide, Bowen Xiong, Yu Ouyang, Chang Shen, Shenghai Chen, Deping Xiong, Xiaoli Zhang, and Zuyong Feng. 2026. "SAMs-Mediated Interfacial Revolution in Perovskite Photovoltaics: Rational Molecular Engineering, Mechanistic Decoding and Versatile Device Implementation" Coatings 16, no. 9: 1076. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16091076

APA Style

Fu, S., Xiong, B., Ouyang, Y., Shen, C., Chen, S., Xiong, D., Zhang, X., & Feng, Z. (2026). SAMs-Mediated Interfacial Revolution in Perovskite Photovoltaics: Rational Molecular Engineering, Mechanistic Decoding and Versatile Device Implementation. Coatings, 16(9), 1076. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16091076

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SAMs-Mediated Interfacial Revolution in Perovskite Photovoltaics: Rational Molecular Engineering, Mechanistic Decoding and Versatile Device Implementation

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