Researchers from the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have achieved a breakthrough in perovskite solar cell technology, paving the way for its commercial adoption, Science and Technology Daily reported this week, Xinhua reported.
The newly developed prototype achieved a high photoconversion efficiency of 27.2 percent and demonstrated significantly improved operational stability. The findings were recently published in the journal Science.
The production of high-quality perovskite films is crucial for improving solar cell efficiency.
Although methylammonium chloride is commonly used to aid film growth, studies have revealed a problem: during crystallization, chloride ions tend to migrate and accumulate near the top surface, leading to an uneven vertical distribution of chlorine.
This unevenness negatively impacts both performance and long-term stability.
To address this issue, the research team used alkali metal oxalate during film formation. The potassium ions released by the oxalate strongly bind to chloride ions, effectively suppressing uncontrolled chloride ion migration and promoting their even distribution across the perovskite layer.
Solar cells produced with this optimized film achieved a certified efficiency of 27.2 percent.
The solar cells also demonstrated excellent stability, maintaining 86.3 percent of their initial efficiency after 1,529 hours of continuous operation and 82.8 percent of their initial efficiency after 1,000 hours of operation under accelerated aging conditions at 85 degrees Celsius with illumination.