A team of international scientists, including Penn State's Nelson Dzade, has unveiled a breakthrough technique in the quest for more durable and efficient solar cells. Their innovation involves creating sturdy perovskite solar cells capable of achieving a remarkable 21.59% conversion efficiency from sunlight to electricity.

Perovskite solar technology presents a promising alternative to traditional silicon cells due to its lower energy requirements for manufacturing, making it a more affordable and sustainable option. However, existing materials used in these cells are vulnerable to environmental factors like moisture and heat, leading to performance degradation.

The team addressed this challenge by harnessing the potential of all-inorganic perovskite materials, specifically cesium lead iodide, known for its electrical properties and resilience to environmental stressors. By combining two photoactive phases of this material into a phase-heterojunction, they effectively suppressed the transformation to an undesired non-photoactive phase, enhancing stability and efficiency.

Nelson Dzade highlighted the significance of this achievement, emphasizing the creation of a coherent interface between the phases that facilitates efficient charge transfer, a critical factor in achieving high solar efficiency.

The scientists achieved a noteworthy 21.59% efficiency with exceptional stability, maintaining over 90% of the initial efficiency after 200 hours under ambient conditions. Scaling their design to a solar cell area of over 7 square inches exhibited an efficiency of 18.43%, showcasing potential for large-scale perovskite solar modules.

The innovation involved a dual deposition method developed by colleagues at Chonnam University in South Korea, utilizing both hot-air and thermal evaporation techniques. By incorporating molecular and organic additives during deposition, they further enhanced the device's electrical properties, efficiency, and stability.

This breakthrough not only opens avenues for advancing all-inorganic perovskite solar cells but also holds promise for exploring other compositions within the perovskite family. Future efforts will focus on enhancing the durability of these phase-heterojunction cells in real-world conditions and scaling them to traditional solar panel sizes.

Supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, this pioneering work, with its potential to exceed 25% efficiency in the near future, could significantly impact the commercialization of advanced solar technology.

Based on: https://www.sciencedaily.com
Materials provided by Penn State. Original written by Matthew Carroll.