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Researchers from the American Georgia Tech have discovered that isolated exposure to water or oxygen does not degrade cells, since it is the interaction of the molecules that causes rapid degradation.
Researchers at Georgia Tech, in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, have discovered a new factor in the stability of perovskite solar cells that could allow the development of more stable and long-lasting perovskites. The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society , is a first step toward solving one of the main problems in the development of metal halide perovskites: degradation.
Perovskite solar cells are an emerging category of photovoltaic materials lauded for their ability to be deposited into extremely thin films, allowing the material to be used in a wide variety of use cases. Although these cells have achieved efficiencies that rival the traditional silicon solar cells widely used today, they suffer rapid degradation of efficiency due to the elements.
Using X-rays to examine the reactions of the perovskite crystal structures to water and oxygen, the researchers discovered that the degradation occurs through the interaction of oxygen and water molecules. However, when isolated individually, neither oxygen nor water causes the rapid degradation seen when both are present.
The Georgia Tech team developed a thin water-repellent coating for the perovskite cells using a material called phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI). The researchers found that PEAI was sufficient to stabilize the structure and conversion efficiency of the perovskites.
However, further research is needed to optimize the PEAI layers. Although the material repels water well, it has thermal stability problems. The Georgia Tech researchers say the next step on their path to making commercially viable perovskites is to find a way to improve the thermal stability of the PEAI layers.
“The industry is already very interested, with companies from all over the United States coming up and trying to commercialize this,” said Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, an assistant professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech. “The technology we are creating here at Georgia Tech will eventually be able to translate to industry.”
Correa-Baena said perovskites are useful not only for photovoltaic applications, but for other technologies that require light transmission.
“Perovskites have the potential not only to transform how we produce solar energy, but also how we manufacture semiconductors for other types of applications such as LEDs or phototransistors,” Correa-Baena said. “We can think of them for applications in quantum information technology, such as emitting light for quantum communication. “These materials have impressive properties that are very promising.” |
