Perovskite

Researchers in China have built one of the most efficient carbon electrode perovskite solar cells ever reported to date. The device uses an organic/inorganic planar hole transport layer structure that purportedly has superior electrical contact.

Researchers in China have built a hole transport layer with a mixed binary configuration integrating the polymer Regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and Spiro-OMeTAD. They used it to build a perovskite solar cell that was able to retain 90% of its initial efficiency after 1,200 hours of storage in dark ambient environment.

An international research team has fabricated a quasi-2D perovskite solar cell with a special kind of phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) salt to enhance hole extraction. The result is a 23.08%-efficient device that is also able to retain 95% of its initial efficiency after 900 hours.

An international research group has made translucent perovskite solar cells to maintain decent levels of average visible transmittance (AVT) while offering higher efficiency. They tested different module and cell configurations and produced a two-terminal, perovskite-perovskite tandem device with an efficiency of 17.7% at 12% AVT.

The Viperlab project is a European initiative that brings together organizations that are working on perovskite solar. pv magazine speaks with Eva Unger, Viperlab’s scientific coordinator, about the infrastructure needed to facilitate the transfer of information and technology to the industry, as well as the huge database that needs to be created to serve this purpose.

Scientists in Belgium have developed perovskite solar panels with a thermally stable device stack. The encapsulated bifacial panels they created with this configuration were able to retain around 92% of their initial efficiency after 1,000 hours.

Indian scientists have replaced Spiro-OMeTAD with copper thiocyanate (CuSCN) as a hole-transporting material in a perovskite solar cell. They say that the new precursor can offer the same efficiency levels, while reducing moisture leakage.

Researchers in Italy have used blade coating to develop a flexible solar cell that does not contain toxic dimethyl sulfoxide. They used the cell to fabricate small solar modules with efficiencies of up to 6.58%.

German researchers claim to have reduced ribbing effects in using slot-die coating for the production of perovskite solar cells. The results are reportedly the most efficient solar cell built with this technique to date.

A research group in China has designed a perovskite solar cell with a new ligand known as 3-amidinopyridine. These molecules are reportedly able to efficiently reduce anion vacancy defects, thus ensuring higher power conversion efficiency and remarkable stability.