Researchers at AMOLF have found a way of turning calcium carbonate structures, such as a sea urchin skeleton, into perovskite materials, by modifying the composition of the material. The team explained that "the experiment involves no more than dripping two liquids over the calcium carbonate structure. The conversion is complete within a couple of minutes. If you shine a UV lamp on the structure, you can see the conversion taking place in front of your eyes: The sea urchin skeleton, which initially appears blue under the lamp, changes into a bright green structure with each drop".

A sand dollar skeleton gradually converting into a light emitting perovskite

The researchers estimate that the perovskite microstructures made in this process result in more stable materials. They therefore state that solar cells made from this material should last longer. "In addition, we can produce perovskite structures in every desired color. This means that the material could also be used for LEDs in various applications, such as screens," says the research team.

China-based QD developer Zhijing Nanotech demonstrated its perovskite-QD film (PQDF) at Displayweek 2018. The company showcased a 55" LCD TV that uses the film to convert the blue LED color to a white background.

Zhijing Nanotech says that its low-cost PQDF can be used to achieve a high 110%+ NTSC color gamut and a high efficiency.

EPFL the CSEM PV-center researchers have combined silicon and perovskite to create solar cells with the resulting efficiency of 25.2%, in what is regarded as a record for this type of tandem cell. Their innovative yet simple manufacturing technique could be directly integrated into existing production lines, and efficiency could eventually rise above 30%.

The researchers explain that a common problem in such cells arises from the fact that when the perovskite is deposited in liquid form, it accumulates in the valleys between the pyramids while leaving the peaks uncovered, leading to short circuits. The team tackled this problem by using evaporation methods to form an inorganic base layer that fully covers the pyramids. That layer is porous, enabling it to retain the liquid organic solution that is then added using a thin-film deposition technique called spin-coating. The researchers subsequently heat the substrate to a relatively low temperature of 150°C to crystallize a homogeneous film of perovskite on top of the silicon pyramids.