The Perovskite-Info newsletter (April 12, 2022)

Researchers from the University of Toronto and their international collaborators have leveraged quantum mechanics to optimize the active layer within an inverted perovskite solar cell.

"Perovskite crystals are made from a liquid ink and coated onto surfaces using technology that is already well-established in industry such as roll-to-roll printing," says Hao Chen, a post-doctoral researcher in Sargent's lab and one of four co-lead authors of a new paper published in Nature Photonics. "Because of this, perovskite solar cells have the potential to be mass produced at much lower energy cost than silicon. The challenge is that right now perovskite solar cells lag traditional silicon cells in stability. In this study, we aimed to close that gap."

Chinese company Golden Solar has signed an agreement with two partners to pursue commercial production of perovskite tandem solar cells with “more than 28%” conversion efficiency.

The Chinese company, which has extremely varied areas of business, is focusing on HJT manufacturing and will combine its solar wafer and HJT technology with the HJT expertise of solar manufacturer Gold Stone (Fujian) Energy Co. Ltd. It will also draw upon the perovskite and tandem knowledge of the National University of Singapore‘s Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore.

Researchers from the University of Rome Tor Vergata's Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE), IMEC and EPFL have reported on a solar module with an efficiency of 20.72%, based on tin oxide (SnO₂) as an electron transport layer, an organometal halide perovskite layer, organic halide salt phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) as a passivation agent, and Spiro-OMeTAD as the hole transport layer (HTL).

The international research team presented its low-temperature planar perovskite module with an n–i–p architecture, an aperture area of 11 cm², and a geometrical fill factor of 91%.

Alfa Chemistry Materials recently announced the launch of a comprehensive line of perovskite materials

"It is no exaggeration to say that the introduction of perovskite materials innovates various fields of optoelectronics, including photovoltaic solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting devices, and many more,” says one of the senior scientists from Alfa Chemistry Materials. “Perovskites can be obtained from a wide range of materials and can be prepared with different methods, including the traditional high-temperature solid state method, sol-gel method, hydrothermal synthesis method, high energy ball milling method and precipitation method. Besides, other methods like vapor deposition method, supercritical drying method, microemulsion method and self-propagating high-temperature combustion synthesis method could also be used.”