The Perovskite-Info newsletter (December 28, 2021)

Researchers from Germany’s Forschungszentrum Jülich have developed a planar perovskite solar cell that reportedly reached over 1,400 hours of operational stability at elevated temperatures. The 20.9% efficient device was built without the ionic dopants or metal oxide nanoparticles that are commonly used to contact the cell, as these can be subject to secondary reactions at higher temperatures.

The scientists tested many different perovskite mixtures before choosing the perovskite material for the cell, giving great focus to their thermal stability, using a self-constructed, high-throughput screening platform.

Researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), University of Science and Technology of China, North Minzu University, Hefei University of Technology, Greece's Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (INN) and Australia's Greatcell Energy have developed perovskite solar cells with a self-recovery capability and high stability in humid environment by introducing polymer called polyvinylpyrrolidone.

The team has shown that polyvinylpyrrolidone, a long chain insulating polymer, could form hydrogen bonds with ions in the cells and also prevent moisture in the air from invading perovskite materials. The hydrogen-bonding-initiated self-healing repairs the decayed perovskite solar cell back to the original state, continue to work, and alleviate long-term cell instability.

Researchers from the Diamond Light Source and the electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC), Imperial College London, Yonsei University, Wageningen University and Research, and the University of Leeds have developed a method to stabilize perovskites without compromising their performance.

The researchers used an organic molecule as a ‘template’ to guide perovskite films into the desired phase as they form.

A consortium led by Hanwha Q Cells, a leading manufacturer of photovoltaic solar cells in South Korea, has been selected for a three-year state project to develop and commercialize perovskite crystalline silicon solar cells with high durability and high efficiency by using tandem cell technology that builds perovskite on top of silicon solar cells.

Tandem solar cells can be individual cells or connected in series, which are simpler to fabricate but the current is the same through each cell. Hanwha Q Cells said the consortium involving three private companies, two research bodies and three universities has signed an agreement with the state-run Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) to develop module process technologies.

2021 is soon over - and it was an interesting year, still dominated by the global pandemic, but also with an increased need and urgency to develop renewable energy technologies.

Here are the top 10 stories posted on Perovskite-Info in 2021, ranked by popularity (i.e. how many people read the story):

1. Oxford PV completes build-out of its Brandenburg factory (Jul 25)
2. TCL and Zhijing Nanotech collaborate on pQD solutions for LCD TVs (Jan 12)
3. Saule Technologies launches its production line of perovskite solar panels (May 23)
4. New comprehensive defect suppression strategy could yield high-efficiency LEDs (Jan 8)
5. Saule Technologies announces plan to go public (Apr 20)
6. GCL raises over $15 million for 100 MW perovskite solar panel production line (Mar 11)
7. When will perovskite solar panels hit the market? (Sep 15)
8. Researchers reach 25.6% conversion efficiency using a novel engineering concept (Apr 7)
9. Researchers analyze importance and feasibility of recycling perovskite solar cells (Jun 26)
10. Flexible semi-transparent tandem perovskite/CIGS solar cell with 26.5% efficiency (Feb 11)