HKUST researchers increase the stability of perovskite solar cells with a new chiral interface
Researchers from the School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a groundbreaking chiral structured interface in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This innovation significantly improves the sustainability and energy conversion efficiency of the cells, marking a crucial step towards their large-scale commercialization.
Perovskite solar cells, which use perovskite-structured materials, have gained attention due to their cost-effectiveness and ease of production compared to traditional silicon solar cells. However, despite the rapid progress, the path to commercialization has been slowed by challenges related to stability, in particular the weak adhesion between different layers of the cells, which affects their reliability.
To tackle this challenge, Prof. ZHOU Yuanyuan, associate professor at HKUST’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE), and her team were inspired by the mechanical strength of natural chiral materials. They created an innovative chiral structured interface in PSCs that significantly improves the mechanical durability and reliability of the cells.
The team integrated chiral structured interlayers, specifically R-/S-methylbenzyl ammonium, between the perovskite absorber and the electron transport layer. This resulted in a robust and elastic heterointerface. The improved solar cells retained 92% of their initial energy conversion efficiency after undergoing 200 cycles between -40 C and 85 C for 1200 hours, according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61215 standards.
“The intriguing mechanical properties of chiral materials are related to the helical packing of their subunits, which resembles a mechanical spring,” explains Dr. DUAN Tianwei, the first author of this study and Research Assistant Professor at CBE Department of HKUST. “Incorporating a chiral structured interlayer at the crucial device interface makes the perovskite solar cell mechanically more durable and adaptable under different operational states,” she added.
Prof. Zhou emphasized the importance of this progress, stating: “It is truly the beginning of the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. Given the high efficiency of these cells, if we can ultimately overcome the reliability problem, billions of energy markets will emerge.” .”
This innovation could revolutionize the solar energy industry by making perovskite solar cells more reliable and efficient, enabling continuous electricity generation under a variety of environmental conditions.
Research report:Chirally structured heterointerfaces enable sustainable perovskite solar cells
