Solar power is rapidly becoming the most popular form of energy technology globally. In 2023, the amount of new electricity generated from solar power was more than double that of coal. A recent report also shows that solar and wind energy are growing at a faster rate than any other electricity source in history.
Most solar panels currently use silicon, which makes up 95% of all solar panels worldwide. However, manufacturing high-efficiency solar cells with silicon requires pure silicon heated to over 900 degrees Celsius. Silicon also has a fixed bandgap, limiting the range of light it can absorb.
Perovskite, on the other hand, is a mineral that is better at absorbing light than silicon. It can even be adjusted to use regions of the solar spectrum that silicon cannot access. Perovskite is more tolerant of defects and impurities and can be produced more easily and flexibly, potentially making solar panels cheaper than those made with silicon.
The efficiency of perovskite solar cells has increased significantly in recent years, from 3% in 2009 to over 25% today. However, naturally occurring perovskite is rare, and synthetic versions are not very durable. But researchers at Rice University have made a breakthrough by developing a method to create stable, high-quality photovoltaic films using formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3).
By adding specially designed two-dimensional (2D) perovskites to the FAPbI3 precursor solution, the researchers were able to improve the stability and efficiency of the solar cells. These 2D perovskites act as templates, guiding the growth of the bulk perovskite and enhancing the crystal lattice structure’s stability. Solar cells with these 2D templates showed greater stability, even after 20 days of generating electricity from sunlight.
This advancement could revolutionize photovoltaic technologies by reducing manufacturing costs and enabling the production of lighter, more flexible solar panels. Unlike silicon-based solar cells, perovskite films can be processed at lower temperatures, allowing for production on plastic or flexible substrates, further reducing costs.
The researchers believe that high-quality perovskite solar panels could be cheaper and less energy-intensive to produce compared to silicon panels. This breakthrough brings perovskite solar cells one step closer to commercial viability and could have a significant impact on the future of solar energy production.
