by the Office of Communications and Institutional Research, City University of Hong Kong
Professor Zhu Zonglong (left) and Dr Gao Danpeng from the City University of Hong Kong hold their innovative solar cells. Credit: City University of Hong Kong
A new manufacturing technique aimed at significantly improving the commercialization prospects of perovskite solar cells through improved stability, reliability, efficiency and affordability is underway at the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK).
Published in ScienceThe research is important because the simple device structure built by the CityUHK team can facilitate future industrial production and build confidence in the commercialization of perovskite solar cells.
“Improvements in the stability and simplification of the production process of perovskite solar cells represent a significant step forward in making solar energy more accessible and affordable,” explained Professor Zhu Zonglong of the Department of Chemistry, explaining that the Perovskite mineral is widely used to efficiently convert sunlight into electricity.
Two new features
Overall, the CityUHK team is working on a new type of solar cell that can turn sunlight into electricity more efficiently and last longer than current solar cells.
The team developed two innovations to create the structure of solar cells. The first innovation is the integration of hole-selective materials and perovskite layers, which simplifies the manufacturing process.
The second is that the operational stability of the device is greatly improved through the use of an inorganic electron transport layer, tin oxide, which has excellent thermal stability, to replace traditional organic materials such as fullerene and BCP.
“The device structure reported in this study represents the most simplified architecture in the current field of perovskite solar cells, providing significant advantages for industrialization,” said Dr. Gao Danpeng, co-author of the paper. and postdoctoral fellow at CityUHK.
Specifically, Dr. Gao explained that this solution does not require a traditional organic transfer layer, which effectively reduces the cost of materials in the manufacturing process while significantly simplifying production steps.
Cost effective and sustainable
The study produced promising data. According to Professor Zhu, the team achieved power conversion efficiencies above 25% by optimizing oxygen deficiency defects in the tin oxide layer while maintaining efficiency above 95% after 2,000 hours of continuous operation under rigorous testing conditions.
This performance exceeds the stability of traditional perovskite solar cells, meeting several industry benchmarks for longevity. The results pave the way for more reliable and efficient solar cells, simplifying manufacturing processes and making large-scale solar cell production more cost-effective.
Researchers in materials science, renewable energy technology, and solar cell manufacturing companies will likely be interested in this research because it can revolutionize the production and long-term stability of perovskite solar cells. Additionally, energy consumers and environmental organizations will see the benefits of solar cells that are more efficient, more durable and easier to manufacture.
Additionally, policymakers focused on environmental protection will find this research noteworthy as it promotes broader applications of renewable energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and protecting the environment and climate.
Scaling
This development in solar cell research could have a profound impact on global energy markets and help accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources, CityUHK teams said, while the next phase of the The study will focus on the application of this innovative structure to larger perovskite solar modules, further aiming to improve the efficiency and scalability of this technology.
This research was carried out in collaboration with teams from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Imperial College London, highlighting the global effort to develop sustainable energy solutions.
“With the potential to be implemented in solar energy systems over the next five years, this research represents a crucial step towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy production on a global scale “Professor Zhu added.
More information:
Danpeng Gao et al, Long-term stability of perovskite solar cells through tin oxide atomic layer deposition, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adq8385
Provided by the Office of Communications and Institutional Research, City University of Hong Kong
Quote: Rationalizing the structure and manufacturing of solar cells for more affordable energy (October 10, 2024) retrieved on October 10, 2024 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for fair use for private study or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for informational purposes only.
