US physicists have jumped a major hurdle that has prevented the commercialization of solar cells made of halogenated perovskites as a low-cost, high-efficiency alternative to silicon for generating electricity from the sun.
A clean energy study by the University of Toledo in collaboration with the University of Washington, the University of Toronto, Northwestern University and the Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science, published in the journal Science, has solved the perovskite solar cell durability problem. This technology brings us one step closer to powering solar panels in the consumer market.
“Perovskite solar cells offer a way to lower the cost of photovoltaic power generation due to their high power conversion efficiency and low manufacturing costs, which are not likely to be commercialized.” However, the durability of new solar cell technology during outdoor operation had to be strengthened.”
The technology must survive for decades in all kinds of outdoor weather and temperatures without corrosion or failure.
“This challenge is no longer an obstacle to deploying the potential of perovskite solar cells,” said Yan. “Our groundbreaking research shows how to increase device stability and achieve success after 10 years of research and development.”
The team discovered ingredients that increase adhesion and mechanical toughness.
The researchers found that perovskite solar cells treated with a diphosphine Lewis base molecule, 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (DPPP), retained high power conversion efficiencies, surviving over 3,500 hours of simulated solar energy. It has been experimentally demonstrated to exhibit excellent durability after continuous operation under illumination. , or 145 days or longer.
They used something called one-sun lighting, which is the equivalent of outdoor sunlight.
“Phosphine-containing Lewis base molecules with two electron-donating atoms have strong bonds with the perovskite surface,” says Yan. “When perovskite solar cells were treated with DPPP, he found a definite beneficial effect on perovskite film quality and device performance.”
“DPPP is also a low-cost, readily available commercialized product, suitable for commercialization of perovskite solar cells.
The researchers say the next step in advancing the technology is to use their findings to stabilize perovskite panels.
The first author of the study, Dr. Chongwen Li, a UToledo alumnus, collaborated with Yan as a graduate student. Lee completed his Ph.D. In 2020 he completed his PhD in Physics at UToledo. He is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto.
“Continuing to exploit the stability potential of perovskite solar cells is an important priority for the ongoing decarbonization of the global economy,” said Li. “After successfully demonstrating his DPPP to improve the stability of perovskite solar cells, he is further applying large-area perovskites to solar panels and proceeding to commercialize prototype devices.”
UToledo has been a pioneer in solar energy research and development for over 30 years.
Yan’s team at UToledo identifies the ideal properties of perovskite, a composite material with a special crystalline structure formed by chemistry, combined with two different solar cells, produced using solar cells It’s been 10 years since we started focusing on increasing total power. Her two different parts of the solar spectrum.
In November, a team of scientists from UToledo, the University of Toronto and Northwestern University worked together to create an all-perovskite tandem solar cell with record voltage. This research was published in the journal Nature.
Original: Physicists Solve Durability Problems in Next-Generation Solar Cells
Than: University of Toledo | University of Washington | University of Toronto | Northwestern University | Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology
