Perovskite Photovoltaic Cells Research Articles

Remanufacturing Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules-A Holistic Case Study.

While perovskite photovoltaic (PV) devices are on the verge of commercialization, promising methods to recycle or remanufacture fully encapsulated perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and modules are still missing. Through a detailed life-cycle assessment shown in this work, we identify that the majority of the greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by re-using the glass substrate and parts of the PV cells. Based on these analytical findings, we develop a novel thermally assisted mechanochemical approach to remove the encapsulants, the electrode, and the perovskite absorber, allowing reuse of most of the device constituents for remanufacturing PSCs, which recovered nearly 90% of their initial performance. Notably, this is the first experimental demonstration of remanufacturing PSCs with an encapsulant and an edge-seal, which are necessary for commercial perovskite solar modules. This approach distinguishes itself from the "traditional" recycling methods previously demonstrated in perovskite literature by allowing direct reuse of bulk materials with high environmental impact. Thus, such a remanufacturing strategy becomes even more favorable than recycling, and it allows us to save up to 33% of the module's global warming potential. Remarkably, this process most likely can be universally applied to other PSC architectures, particularly n-i-p-based architectures that rely on inorganic metal oxide layers deposited on glass substrates. Finally, we demonstrate that the CO2-footprint of these remanufactured devices can become less than 30 g/kWh, which is the value for state-of-the-art c-Si PV modules, and can even reach 15 g/kWh assuming a similar lifetime.

Comparison Between Perovskite and Silicon for Photovoltaic Cell Applications and Future Industrial Prospects

Environmental concerns have evolved into an essential focal point within contemporary human progress. An increasing number of individuals are recognizing the paramount significance of safeguarding our environment and are actively engaged in crafting a sustainable developmental framework. An integral facet of sustainable progress is the adoption of clean energy, representing a pivotal paradigm shift in the global energy landscape. One remarkable manifestation of this shift is the utilization of photovoltaic (PV) cells, which adeptly transmute radiant light energy into electrical power. This paper delves into an exploration of the prevailing silicon photovoltaic cells widely accessible in the market, while also delving into the realm of perovskite photovoltaic cells, an experimental yet highly promising avenue. It endeavors to juxtapose these two technologies across various dimensions, including energy conversion efficiency, overall cost implications, and environmental repercussions. Evidently, silicon and perovskite technologies manifest distinct advantages and drawbacks in different contexts. It is unequivocally established that both forms of photovoltaic cells hold profound implications for the future trajectory of energy consumption and the overarching ethos of sustainable development.

Occlusal Architecture of the Buried Interface Enables Record‐Efficiency Flexible Perovskite Photovoltaic Modules with Enhanced In‐Plane Bending Mechanical Endurance

AbstractFlexible perovskite photovoltaic cells (f‐PPCs) have demonstrated enormous potential in portable electronics due to the high power‐to‐weight ratio characteristic in outdoor and indoor ambient environment. However, the inherent mechanical endurance of f‐PPCs remains a major concern. Inspired by industrial strong adhesion coatings, herein, a porous nanoparticle layer is inserted into the buried interface of the perovskite layer to regulate the interfacial adhesion with a smooth hole transporting layer (HTL). As a result, the f‐PPCs realizes retaining over 80% of original efficiency after 2000 in‐plane bending cycles with the narrow radius of 4 mm. Furthermore, a certified record efficiency of 20.20% is achieved for flexible perovskite solar module, as well as the record efficiency of 31.69% for flexible perovskite indoor photovoltaic module (LED, 1000 lux).

Life cycle assessment of low-dimensional materials for perovskite photovoltaic cells

Perovskite solar cells integrated with lower dimensional materials can outperform the environmental performance of conventional solar photovoltaic technologies such as crystalline silicon, CIGS, and CdTe with shorter lifetimes.

Perovskite Solar Cell: Chemical Composition and Bandgap Energy via Machine Learning

The exponential growth in publications and applications of perovskite photovoltaic cells highlights their significance in energy conversion and carbon emissions mitigation. From 2009 to 2023, the efficiency of these cells has significantly increased from 3.9% to 25.7%. The adaptive capacity of perovskite structures for solar spectrum absorption and current displacement is strongly influenced by the bandgap energy, ideally situated between 1.3 and 1.7 eV. Although various perovskite compositions can potentially attain this energy range, the synthesis methodologies remain empirically driven, presenting challenges to experimental viability. In this context, leveraging experimental databases provided by global researchers emerges as an effective approach to expedite and enable research on perovskite structures for photovoltaic cells. This study utilized the comprehensive MaterialsZone database to feed machine learning algorithms, focusing on Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) methodologies to predict the bandgap energy in a targeted perovskite composition. By conducting synthesis experiments towards specific compositions guided by model predictions, it becomes feasible to efficiently achieve the desired bandgap energy. Such a strategy not only accelerates research progress but also serves to curtail costs associated with the synthesis of perovskite materials. The RF model exhibited an average percentage error of 5.13%, a standard deviation of the percentage error of 6.99%, and a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.119. In contrast, the SVM model recorded an average percentage error of 4.05%, a standard deviation of the percentage error of 6.45%, and RMSE of 0.881. These developed models not only demonstrate high predictive capacity but also contribute substantively to the comprehension of the intricate relationship between the chemical composition and bandgap energy values of perovskites. By deploying machine learning algorithms, this work paves the way for targeted optimizations and considerable strides in the manufacturing of perovskite-based photovoltaic cells.

Molecular engineering of tetraphenyl-based hole transporting materials to enhance photovoltaic properties of perovskite solar cells

Perovskite photovoltaic cells have lately gained appeal due to their excellent operational efficiency, photophysical properties, and high dielectric constant. Five novel hole transport materials namely TADM1–TADM5 were devised to improve power conversion efficiency (PCE) of Perovskite solar cells (PSCs). These molecules have tetraphenyl (TP) as a typical core, donor, and different acceptor units connected via a thiophene spacer. Under the framework of DFT theory, the B3LYP functional along with the 6–31 G basis set was utilized to study their geometries, molecular electrostatic potential, reorganization energies, the density of states, quantum chemical parameters, transition density matrix, binding energies, and charge transfer properties. All the designed HTMs (TADM1–TADM5) displayed excellent photovoltaic properties due to lower (Eg) varying (1.94–2.54 eV), small binding energies (0.04–0.36 eV), and high dipole moments (12.89 D to 26.93 D) that enhanced their electron charge transfer behavior. Small reorganization energy (RE) values for holes and electrons resulted in significant charge mobility. All the designed HTMs (TADM1-TADM5) have higher VOC (1.30–1.43 V) and power conversion efficiency (23.70–26.27%) than the reference molecule SMeTAD (20.94%). Consequently, all of the modelled molecules (TADM1-TADM5) demonstrate that using acceptor moieties is an effective method for achieving acceptable optoelectronic characteristics and outstanding efficiency.

Investigating the influence of ambient light spectrum on the thickness and band gap of halide-perovskite for indoor photovoltaic application

Mixed halide perovskite photovoltaic (PV) cells show remarkable efficiency under outdoor sunlight conditions, but they also have a lot of potential for use in the indoor light environment. Unfortunately, the theoretical, as well as experimental studies on the application of mixed halide perovskite photovoltaic cells for indoor light harvesting, are still lagging. Here, a perovskite PV cell has been modelled as FTO/ZnO/MAPbI3-xClx/Spiro-MeOTAD and studied its performance under AM1.5G solar spectra, Light Emitting Diode (LED) light, Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL), and Incandescent (INC) light condition by using SCAPS-1D (Version 3.3.10), solar cell simulation software. Initially, the power conversion efficiency (η) is 23.3 %, 40.08 %, 39.22 %, and 29.15 % respectively under AM 1.5, LED, CFL, and INC light. Further, the effect of the ambient lights i.e. LED, CFL and INC on the thickness and bap gap (Eg) of MAPbI3-xClx has also been carried out and achieved 41.95 %, 41.13 %, and 32.82 % efficiency accordingly. This investigation into the thickness and band gap effect of MAPbI3-xClx for indoor performance paves the way for the practical implementation of such indoor PV cells for modern Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Enhanced stability and optoelectronic properties of double perovskite Cs2AgSbI6 by Br doping for solar cells

Lead halide perovskite photovoltaic cells offer much higher energy conversion efficiency. However, new non-toxic semiconductor compounds are being sought due to instability and lead toxicity. The stable double perovskite Cs2AgSbI6 is the base material for this investigation since it has been demonstrated to be an effective and ecologically replacement for lead halide perovskites. In this study, the cubic space phase of the bromine alloy double inorganic halide perovskite Cs2AgSb(I1−xBrx)6 was analyzed using density functional theory (DFT). The band gap was widened with increasing percentages of Br doping, and theoretical calculations were used to determine the best structures for these compounds. Theoretically, its optoelectronic characteristics are computed using the GGA-PBE and GGA-TB-mBJ approximations. We found that Cs2AgSb(I1−xBrx)6 is stable under typical conditions with a band gap below 2 eV. Thus, it is advised to utilize Cs2AgSb(I1−xBrx)6 for solar cell applications. The spectroscopic limited maximum efficiency (SLME) technique was used to analyze theoretical efficiency (η), with the gap energy, absorption coefficient, and absorption estimated from the typical AM1.5G solar spectrum at 25 °C serving as key input factors. We attained an η of 18 % for Cs2AgSb(I0.50Br0.50)6 at a thickness of 800 nm.

Photoinduced Self-Gating of Perovskite Photovoltaic Cells in Ionic Liquid

Photoinduced Self-Gating of Perovskite Photovoltaic Cells in Ionic Liquid

Efficient solar fuel production enabled by an iodide oxidation reaction on atomic layer deposited MoS2

AbstractOxygen evolution reaction (OER) as a half‐anodic reaction of water splitting hinders the overall reaction efficiency owing to its thermodynamic and kinetic limitations. Iodide oxidation reaction (IOR) with low thermodynamic barrier and rapid reaction kinetics is a promising alternative to the OER. Herein, we present a molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) electrocatalyst for a high‐efficiency and remarkably durable anode enabling IOR. MoS2 nanosheets deposited on a porous carbon paper via atomic layer deposition show an IOR current density of 10 mA cm–2 at an anodic potential of 0.63 V with respect to the reversible hydrogen electrode owing to the porous substrate as well as the intrinsic iodide oxidation capability of MoS2 as confirmed by theoretical calculations. The lower positive potential applied to the MoS2‐based heterostructure during IOR electrocatalysis prevents deterioration of the active sites on MoS2, resulting in exceptional durability of 200 h. Subsequently, we fabricate a two‐electrode system comprising a MoS2 anode for IOR combined with a commercial Pt@C catalyst cathode for hydrogen evolution reaction. Moreover, the photovoltaic–electrochemical hydrogen production device comprising this electrolyzer and a single perovskite photovoltaic cell shows a record‐high current density of 21 mA cm–2 at 1 sun under unbiased conditions.

Effects of drying time on the formation of merged and soft MAPbI3 grains and their photovoltaic responses.

The grain sizes of soft CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) thin films and the atomic contact strength at the MAPbI3/P3CT-Na interface are manipulated by varying the drying time of the saturated MAPbI3 precursor solutions, which influences the device performance and lifespan of the resultant inverted perovskite photovoltaic cells. The atomic-force microscopy images, cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy images, photoluminescence spectra and absorbance spectra show that the increased short-circuit current density (J SC) and increased fill factor (FF) are mainly due to the formation of merged MAPbI3 grains. Besides, the open-circuit voltage (V OC) of the encapsulated photovoltaic cells largely increases from 1.01 V to 1.15 V, thereby increasing the power conversion efficiency from 17.89% to 19.55% after 30 days, which can be explained as due to the increased carrier density of the MAPbI3 crystalline thin film. It is noted that the use of the optimized drying time during the spin coating process results in the formation of merged MAPbI3 grains while keeping the contact quality at the MAPbI3/P3CT-Na interface, which boosts the device performance and lifespan of the resultant perovskite photovoltaic cells.

Life-Cycle Analysis of Crystalline-Si “Direct Wafer” and Tandem Perovskite PV Modules and Systems

This article summarizes a life cycle analysis comparing “Direct Wafer” (DW) technology produced by CubicPV to conventional Czochralski wafers as well as the use of both wafer types in tandem with perovskite photovoltaic (PV). It shows that significant reduction in energy and environmental impact is achievable through the use of kerfless wafers in PV module manufacturing. Direct wafer PV production avoids ingot production, associated electricity consumption, and kerf loss and enables reduced wafer thickness. The impact is quantified in terms of life-cycle cumulative energy demand (CED), global warming potential (GWP), and energy pay back time. For single-junction PV, using US-made DW PV cells is projected to result in 47% less CED and 68% less GWP than that required for conventional Cz single-crystalline cells production in China. With direct wafer-perovskite tandem modules, a 24% CED reduction for installed system is projected for US production versus Chinese production with conventional wafering.

Hierarchically nanostructured Ni(Mo,Co)-WOx electrocatalysts for highly efficient urea electrolysis

Urea electrolysis (UE) represents a promising path for hydrogen production as an alternative to water electrolysis with a low thermodynamic potential of 0.37 V and the additional function of urea pollutant degradation. However, the sluggish kinetics caused by the six-electron processes increase the barrier energy for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR). In this work, hierarchical NiMo-WOx and NiCo-WOx nanowires are newly synthesized as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and UOR electrocatalysts, respectively, via a facile two-step process involving thermal evaporation and electrodeposition. Due to the higher surface exposure of active sites and greater electrical conductivity of the hierarchical structure, NiMo-WOx exhibits high HER activity with an overpotential of 17 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 87 mV dec−1, which is similar to the activity of a Pt. Hierarchical NiCo-WOx exhibits high UOR activity, requiring only 1.38 V to drive 100 mA cm−2, which is 0.28 V lower than the oxygen evolution reaction (1.69 V). Assembling NiMo-WOx and NiCo-WOx as the HER and UOR electrodes, respectively, for UE requires a potential of only 1.39 V for 10 mA cm−2 and a Faradaic efficiency of 98.7 %. An unassisted hydrogen production system is also demonstrated by combining UE and perovskite photovoltaic cells, producing a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 11 %.

A Comparison of Spectrum-Splitting Configurations for High-Efficiency Photovoltaic Systems With Perovskite Cells

The recent development of inexpensive perovskite photovoltaic (PV) cells at a variety of band gap energies has opened the prospects for commercially viable spectrum-splitting PV systems. A variety of cell configurations exist for implementing spectrum splitting in PV modules. In this article, 3-junction and 4-junction hybrid spectrum-splitting systems are proposed that use volume holographic lens arrays for lateral spectral separation and absorptive filtering in semitransparent perovskite PV cells for vertical spectral separation. A 3-junction hybrid system is shown to have greater conversion efficiency (28.7%) than comparable systems using completely lateral (25.6%) or completely stacked (26.9%) cell arrangements. It is shown that a 4-junction hybrid system has a hypothetical conversion efficiency of 30.0% using perovskite PV cells that have been experimentally demonstrated in the literature with energy band gaps of 1.25 eV, 1.55 eV, 1.72 eV, and 2.30 eV.

Optimization of the Power Conversion Efficiency of CsPbIxBr3−x-Based Perovskite Photovoltaic Solar Cells Using ZnO and NiOx as an Inorganic Charge Transport Layer

In this study, we analyzed the maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a photovoltaic cell with an ITO/ZnO/CsPbIxBr3−x/NiOx/Au structure, using ZnO and NiOx as the inorganic charge transport layers and CsPbIxBr3−x as an absorption layer. We optimized the thickness of each layer and investigated the effects of the defect density and interface defect density. To achieve the highest PCE, the optimal thicknesses were 300 nm for the electron transport layer (ZnO), 60 nm for the hole transport layer (NiOx), and 1000 nm for the absorption layer. The absorber defect density was maintained at approximately 1015 cm−3, and the interface defect density was approximately 1011 cm−3. The highest PCE obtained through optimization of each of these factors was 23.07%. These results are expected to contribute to the performance optimization of perovskite solar cells that use inorganic charge carrier transport layers.

Combining Quantum Dot and Perovskite Photovoltaic Cells for Efficient Photon to Electricity Conversion in Energy Storage Devices

Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, are increasingly important today to reduce emissions from fossil‐based energy sources. However, the electricity from wind and solar power varies over time and depends on weather conditions and the time of the day. Therefore, to include a large fraction of electricity from these energy sources in the electricity grid, large‐scale and low‐cost energy storage is needed. Herein, it is investigated how a combination of quantum dot based photovoltaic cells and perovskite‐based photovoltaic cells can be used to increase the energy conversion efficiency and increase the working range of energy storage devices based on conversion between heat, light, and electricity. The results show that these new types of photovoltaic materials have very promising properties for efficient utilization in energy storage devices, which have the potential for large‐scale and low‐cost energy storage.

Wide Bandgap Perovskite Photovoltaic Cells for Stray Light Recycling in a System Emitting Broadband Polarized Light

AbstractPerovskite based photovoltaic (PV) cells are unique in combining low open‐circuit voltage losses with a broad bandgap tunability. This makes them an ideal PV cell to recycle photons back into electrical power in a variety of illumination systems or light emitting devices. Here, advantage of these features is taken and wide bandgap (WBG) perovskite PV cells are incorporated in devices suitable for display illumination and demonstrate a high yield in stray light recycling back into electricity with up to a 37.5% power conversion efficiency. The specific device considered is a modified half‐cylinder photonic plate designed to emit diffused broadband polarized light using a nonabsorbing reflective polarizer based on a random dielectric layer distribution. It is experimentally demonstrated that light recycling using appropriately tuned WBG perovskite PV cells becomes very efficient when implemented in systems where the light is emitted from narrowband sources, even if the emission spans a broad wavelength range.

Thiourea with sulfur-donor as an effective additive for enhanced performance of lead-free double perovskite photovoltaic cells

Lead-free inorganic Cs2AgBiBr6 double perovskites have emerged as promising materials in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to tackle the inferior stability and toxicity issues of organic–inorganic hybrid PSCs. However, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of Cs2AgBiBr6 solar cells are remarkably restricted by the intrinsic and extrinsic defects of Cs2AgBiBr6 films. More specifically, the fast crystallization process in the formation of Cs2AgBiBr6 films strongly prevents the homogeneous growth of perovskite crystals, leading to inferior Cs2AgBiBr6 film quality. This work introduces a facile strategy to retard the crystallization of Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskites by introducing Lewis base additives into the precursor solution. The incorporation of a strongly coordinated thiourea additive with a sulfur donor leads to the generation of a Lewis acid base adduct, which retards the crystallization process for Cs2AgBiBr6 crystals, improves the quality of the Cs2AgBiBr6 film, decreases the defect density and inhibits charge carrier recombination. After optimization, the cell delivers a superior PCE of 3.07%, surpassing that reported for most Cs2AgBiBr6-based solar cells in the literature, and exhibits outstanding stability with a PCE retention rate of 95% after 20 days of storage in air. This work provides an effective strategy for further improvements in the performance of inorganic lead-free Cs2AgBiBr6-based photovoltaic cells.

Lateral spectrum splitting system with perovskite photovoltaic cells

We examine the potential of a multijunction spectrum-splitting photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system with perovskite PV cells. Spectrum splitting allows combinations of different energy band gap PV cells that are laterally separated and avoids the complications of fabricating tandem stack architectures. Volume holographic optical elements have been shown to be effective for the spectrum-splitting operation and can be incorporated into compact module packages. However, one of the remaining issues for spectrum splitting systems is the availability of low-cost wide band gap and intermediate band gap cells that are required for realizing high overall conversion efficiency. Perovskite PV cells have been fabricated with a wide range of band gap energies that potentially satisfy the requirements for multijunction spectrum-splitting systems. A spectrum-splitting system is evaluated for a combination of perovskite PV cells with energy band gaps of 2.30, 1.63, and 1.25 eV and with conversion efficiencies of 10.4%, 21.6%, and 20.4%, respectively, which have been demonstrated experimentally in the literature. First, the design of a cascaded volume holographic lens for spectral separation in three spectral bands is presented. Second, a rigorous coupled wave model is developed for computing the diffraction efficiency of a cascaded hologram. The model accounts for cross-coupling between higher diffraction orders in the upper and lower holograms, which previous models have not accounted for but is included here with the experimental verification. Lastly, the optical losses in the system are analyzed and the hypothetical power conversion efficiency is calculated to be 26.7%.

In Silico Investigation of the Impact of Hole-Transport Layers on the Performance of CH3NH3SnI3 Perovskite Photovoltaic Cells

Perovskite solar cells represent one of the recent success stories in photovoltaics. The device efficiency has been steadily increasing over the past years, but further work is needed to enhance the performance, for example, through the reduction of defects to prevent carrier recombination. SCAPS-1D simulations were performed to assess efficiency limits and identify approaches to decrease the impact of defects, through the selection of an optimal hole-transport material and a hole-collecting electrode. Particular attention was given to evaluation of the influence of bulk defects within light-absorbing CH3NH3SnI3 layers. In addition, the study demonstrates the influence of interface defects at the TiO2/CH3NH3SnI3 (IL1) and CH3NH3SnI3/HTL (IL2) interfaces across the similar range of defect densities. Finally, the optimal device architecture TiO2/CH3NH3SnI3/Cu2O is proposed for the given absorber layer using the readily available Cu2O hole-transporting material with PCE = 27.95%, FF = 84.05%, VOC = 1.02 V and JSC = 32.60 mA/cm2, providing optimal performance and enhanced resistance to defects.