| Work Detail |
Researchers at the University of Queensland have developed a 2D/3D tin halide perovskite (THP) solar cell with a certified efficiency of 16.65% and peak performance of 17.13%, maintaining stable output under continuous illumination for over 1,500 hours. Researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia have fabricated a tin halide perovskite (THP) solar cell with a 2D/3D heterojunction architecture. “There is great commercial potential in THP solar cells because perovskite devices are more sustainable to produce than silicon-based solar cells,” said the researchs lead author, Peng Chen. “The benefit of THP is that we’re dealing with more eco-friendly tin and not the toxic lead that is widely used in most of the perovskite solar cells, meaning they can be safely installed around the home.” The cell uses a 2D perovskite layer at the interface between the perovskite and the hole transport layer, which the researchers said can improve charge-carrier transport/extraction while suppressing ion migration. Cells with this architecture usually exhibit large exciton binding energies and are generally more stable than conventional 3D devices due to the protection provided by the organic ligands. For the novel cell design, the academics adopted a special chemistry engineering strategy to regulate the nucleation kinetics of mixed-dimensional perovskites with a homogeneous 2D/3D bulk heterostructure. Moreover, they used caesium ions to improve the microstructure and reduce defects in the THP film. “This is what allowed us to reach a record level of efficiency while still having a product that would pass stringent environmental checks,” Chen explained. “I think we have a formula now that will only keep improving.” The cell was fabricated with a substrate made of indium tin oxide (ITO) and glass, a PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer, the perovskite absorber, a bathocuproine (BCP) buffer layer, and a silver (Ag) metal contact. Tested under standard illumination conditions, the device achieved an efficiency of 17.13% and a certified efficiency of 16.65%, while also showing stable operation under continuous one-sun illumination for over 1,500?h in nitrogen without encapsulation. “It might not seem like much, but this is a giant leap in a field that is renowned for delicate and incremental progress,” said co-author Lianzhou Wang. “The reading is in line with many silicon-based solar cells currently on the market but with the potential to be cheaper and quicker to make. We are thrilled with the record and also to be contributing to the progress of cost-effective renewable energy technology.” The scientists introduced the new cell concept in “Homogeneous 2D/3D heterostructured tin halide perovskite photovoltaics,” published in the journal nature nanotechnology. |
