Researchers led by Prof. Antonio Abate at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have designed a study to investigate lead hazards relating to perovskite soar cells. They cooperated with plant scientists from the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China, where the experiments were carried out, and with a group from the university of Naples, Italy.

Mint plants grown on control soil (left) and perovskite-contaminated soil (right). Credit: Nature

The plant experts prepared contaminated soil samples with different concentrations of lead from either perovskite solar cells or other lead sources and cultivated different plants. After a growth period, they analyzed the lead content in leaves and other parts of the plant. They found that lead from perovskite solar cells is 10 times more bioavailable than lead from other industrial sources.

Researchers led by Prof. Antonio Abate at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have designed a study to investigate lead hazards relating to perovskite soar cells. They cooperated with plant scientists from the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China, where the experiments were carried out, and with a group from the university of Naples, Italy.

Mint plants grown on control soil (left) and perovskite-contaminated soil (right). Credit: Nature

The plant experts prepared contaminated soil samples with different concentrations of lead from either perovskite solar cells or other lead sources and cultivated different plants. After a growth period, they analyzed the lead content in leaves and other parts of the plant. They found that lead from perovskite solar cells is 10 times more bioavailable than lead from other industrial sources.

Japanese electronics giant Panasonic has reported the production of a lightweight 30_cmX30_cm perovskite solar module with an efficiency of 16.01%. The result was achieved in a research project by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.

The device has an area of 802cm² and thickness of 2mm. The manufacturer claims it improved module performance through an inkjet coating method and a reduction in weight by using thin glass substrates.

In what is said to be a "major milestone toward commercialization", Solliance partners TNO, imec and the Eindhoven University of Technology demonstrated encapsulated perovskite solar modules fabricated using industrial processes that withstand three established lifetime tests, i.e. the light soak test, the damp-heat test and the thermal cycling test. It is for the first time this milestone is passed with scaled perovskite solar modules prepared by research organizations.

The efficiency and versatility of perovskite solar modules has generated a lot of interest in this novel solar energy technology. However, concerns have been raised about the stability of perovskite solar modules since the early devices, reported a decade ago, were only stable for minutes. By passing three rigorous aging tests, Solliance and its industrial partners take a major step towards commercialization of this novel solar technology.

University of California, Berkeley, scientists have created a blue light-emitting diode (LED) from halide perovskites, overcoming a major barrier to using these cheap, easy-to-make materials in electronic devices.

In the process, however, the researchers discovered a fundamental property of halide perovskites that may prove a barrier to their widespread use as solar cells and transistors. Alternatively, this unique property may open up a whole new world for perovskites far beyond that of today's standard semiconductors.