New Additive Enables Open-Air Production of Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells have long been hailed as a promising alternative to traditional silicon solar panels, and now, a groundbreaking discovery by an international research team has brought them one step closer to widespread adoption. The team has successfully demonstrated that these innovative solar cells can be manufactured in the open air, eliminating the need for costly and complex inert atmospheres.

By incorporating dimethylammonium formate into the perovskite precursors, the researchers were able to prevent the oxidization of iodide ions and the deprotonation of organic cations in p–i–n perovskite solar cells. This simple yet effective addition led to a significant improvement in the cells' performance, with the treated cells achieving an impressive efficiency of nearly 25% (1.53eV cell).

Even more remarkable is the long-term stability exhibited by these air-processed perovskite solar cells. After subjecting the cells to 700 hours of simulated sunlight, they retained a remarkable 90% of their efficiency. In comparison, cells manufactured without the additive began to degrade after just 300 hours, highlighting the importance of this breakthrough.

"It’s too early to say that they are as stable as silicon panels, but we're on a good trajectory toward that," remarked Professor Michael McGehee of the University of Colorado Boulder, where the project data was meticulously analyzed. Professor McGehee, a leading expert in the field, is spearheading a US government-funded initiative known as 'Tandems for efficient and advanced modules using ultrastable perovskites (TEAMUP).' This collaborative effort aims to develop stable tandem perovskites that can rival conventional silicon panels in efficiency and durability.

With a generous $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the TEAMUP consortium, comprising researchers from multiple universities, companies, and a national laboratory, is working tirelessly to bring this cutting-edge technology to fruition. The ultimate goal is to create tandem solar cells that not only outperform traditional silicon panels in terms of efficiency but also boast a comparable level of stability over a 25-year lifespan.

In a testament to the collaborative nature of scientific research, the University of Colorado partnered with several esteemed institutions in China, including the University of Science and Technology of China, the Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, and the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering. The successful outcome of this partnership is detailed in a recent publication titled 'Inhibition of halide oxidation and deprotonation of organic cations with dimethylammonium formate for air-processed p–i–n perovskite solar cells' in the prestigious journal Nature Energy.