An international research group reported boosting the efficiency of perovskite solar cells by adding silicon nanoparticles. Silicon particles do not absorb light, nor do they interact with other materials in the cell, according to ITMO University in St. Petersburg, which worked with St. Petersburg State University and scientists in Italy and the USA.

“Dielectric particles don’t absorb light, so they don’t heat up,” said ITMO researcher Aleksandra Furasova. “They are chemically inert and don’t affect the stability of the battery. Besides, being highly resonant, such particles can absorb more light of a wide range of wavelengths. Due to special layout characteristics, they don’t damage the structure of the cells. These advantages allowed us to enhance cells efficiency up to almost 19%. So far, this is the best-known result for this particular perovskite material with incorporated nanoparticles”.

Researchers from Qatar, Switzerland and Italy have designed a composite perovskite material with a thin surface layer that repels water and protects against moisture-induced degradation. The team has managed to do this by allowing the self-assembly of two-dimensional perovskite on top of a three-dimensional perovskite in an inert atmosphere.

The composite perovskite did not decompose when kept in highly humid air for three days. The top layer of the 2D perovskite blocked water penetration into the 3D perovskite beneath it, preventing its degradation. Bare 3D perovskite completely degrades at a similar humidity.