A-site engineered lead halide perovskites lead to balanced stability and efficiency
A-site engineered lead halide perovskites lead to balanced stability and efficiency lead image
Perovskite materials remained at the forefront of energy research for their potential as light harvesters. As hybrid perovskites (ABX3) emerge as a substitute for silicon in photovoltaic technologies, researchers seek to improve their stability and efficiency.
In a perspective, Ünlü et al. evaluated how A-site engineering in ABX3 materials can help overcome the weaknesses and instabilities faced by perovskite materials. They also highlighted ways to make perovskite solar cells using lead-free materials, getting around one of the concerns holding back the commercialization of halide perovskite solar cells.
“We have worked for quite some time on the structural and compositional modulations of perovskite materials in an effort to make them ‘greener’ by processing them in non-toxic solvents such as protic ionic liquids and by substituting lead with tin and bismuth,” said author Sanjay Mathur.
The perspective details the perovskite crystal structure and properties before describing possible pathways to A-site cation engineering and its impact on the perovskite properties. According to the authors, by substituting the A-site cation in a perovskite structure with multiple cations, long-term stability may be achieved.
“A-site cation engineering is one of the most important steps towards higher solar cell efficiencies, which have made it possible to consider perovskite solar cells for commercialization,” said Mathur. “With solar cell efficiency regularly reaching high values, the next step is to demonstrate long-term stability under real-life conditions like high humidity, high temperatures and long illumination to bring perovskite closer to the market.”
Source: “Understanding the interplay of stability and efficiency in A-site engineered lead halide perovskites,” by Feray Ünlü, Eunhwan Jung, Jinane Haddad, Ashish Kulkarni, Senol Öz, Heechae Choi, Thomas Fischer, Sudip Chakraborty, Thomas Kirchartz, and Sanjay Mathur, APL Materials (2020). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0011851 .
