Perovskites

An international research team has developed a novel way to remanufacture fully encapsulated perovskite solar cells after recycling. The researchers say the devices can achieve 88% of the original efficiency of the products.

Research teams have developed methods for perovskite passivation, but there hasn’t been a clear understanding of how the process works. A new Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study provides details on how to passivate the material’s surface so the perovskite no longer degrades so rapidly or loses efficiency.

Developed by scientists in Canada, the 0.049 cm2 solar cell was built in ambient air fabricationand with a reactant known as phenyltrimethylammonium chloride (PTACl). It achieved an open-circuit voltage of 0.95 V, a short-circuit current density of 23 mA cm−2, and a fill factor of 80%.

An international research team claims to have achieved optimal passivation in inverted perovskite solar cells by applying thin layers of low-dimensional perovskite on top of a 3D perovskite film. The resulting cell achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.19 V, a short-circuit current density of 24.94 mA cm2, and a fill factor of 85.9%.

Researchers in Singapore have built an inverted perovskite PV device with a p-type antimony-doped tin oxides (ATOx) interlayer that reportedly reduces the efficiency disparity between small and large-area perovskite cells. According to their findings, ATOx may easily replace commonly used nickel oxides (NiOx) as a hole transport material.

Developed by scientists in Germany, the triple-junction cell is based on a perovskite top cell with an energy bandgap of 1.84 eV, a perovskite middle cell with bandgap of 1.52 eV, and a silicon bottom cell with a bandgap of 1.1 eV. The device achieved an open-circuit voltage of 2.84 V, a short-circuit current of 11.6 mA cm–2, and a fill factor of 74%.

The scientists built the panel with perovskite solar cells treated with trifluoromethane sulfonate to combat iodide defects. The mini module reportedly achieved the highest efficiency ever recorded for its size to date, with the result being confirmed by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Merida Aerospace, a US aerospace company, is developing perovskite solar cells for low-Earth-orbit satellites. It says perovskite solar cells could be a more cost-effective and efficient option than traditional cells.

A recent industry event about organic, perovskite, and other emerging cell technologies hosted by TechBlick revealed advances in power conversion efficiencies, stability, availability of materials, and specialized manufacturing equipment. The event also showed that the number of startup companies, new products and new pilot lines is increasing at a fast pace.

Tandem PV has secured capital to advance its four-terminal perovskite-silicon tandem module technology and move closer to first manufacturing. The company claims its products maintain 80% of the initial performance after 25 years.