Recent Perovskite News - Page 2

Researchers at Nanjing Tech University have developed a potassium chloride (KCl)-modified tin oxide (SnO₂) electron transport layer (ETL) that suppresses interfacial defects and improves crystallization in carbon-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The modification, introduced during a low-temperature chemical bath deposition (CBD) process, raised the champion device's power conversion efficiency (PCE) to 15.13%, a 7.22% improvement over an unmodified reference device, while also improving long-term stability.

SnO₂ has become a popular alternative to TiO₂ as an ETL in both rigid and flexible PSCs, thanks to its high ionic conductivity and favorable energy alignment with perovskite films. Chemical bath deposition is a common way to fabricate SnO₂ layers because it operates at under 100°C, uses little energy, and scales well. However, aqueous CBD-grown SnO₂ films tend to suffer from non-uniform grain sizes and a high density of defect states, including oxygen vacancies and undercoordinated Sn4+ sites that trap charge carriers and reduce open-circuit voltage. To address this, the team introduced KCl directly into the aqueous CBD growth process.

With Perovskite Connect 2026 just three weeks away, it's worth looking at what actually draws the industry to Berlin. The event, co-organized by TechBlick and Perovskite-Info, runs October 21-22 at the Estrel Convention Center, with tours and masterclasses on October 20 and co-location alongside the Future of Electronics RESHAPED event.

What sets the program apart is that Perovskite Connect covers the entire perovskite value chain in one venue, from materials, inks and quantum dots through printing and solution processing, production and manufacturing scale-up, testing and reliability, to applications in photovoltaics, LEDs, displays and sensors, plus dedicated tracks for start-ups and market analysis. That range is reflected in the speaker line-up, with confirmed talks from Oxford PV, imec/EnergyVille, CubicPV, GCL Optoelectronic Material, Caelux, Qcells, Tandem PV, SolarEdge, Eternal Sun, Everlight and ZSW, spanning topics from four-terminal tandem manufacturing to accelerated stress testing to perovskite recycling.

Tokyo Chemical Industry (TCI), a global supplier of laboratory chemicals and specialty materials, is offering OA-TFSI (n-Octylammonium Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide), an additive for the Spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer in perovskite solar cells that provides both doping and passivation.

TCI explains that when OA-TFSI is added during the formation of the Spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer, its two ions play different roles: the TFSI anion acts as a dopant for the hole transport material, while the n-octylammonium cation passivates the underlying perovskite layer. Compared to LiTFSI, the lithium salt commonly used as a Spiro-OMeTAD additive, OA-TFSI improves both the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and the stability of the device.

Researchers at Hanbat National University, the Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology (KICET), the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and EXSEN Inc. have developed a composite cathode that reduces cobalt-rich surface segregation and lowers electrical resistance in layered perovskite cathodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs).

Layered perovskite oxides of the LnBaCo₂O_5+δ family are attractive IT-SOFC cathode materials for their strong ionic and electronic transport and high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, but cobalt-based compositions can suffer from high thermal expansion coefficients that create long-term compatibility issues with the electrolyte and interconnect materials. Substituting iron for some of the cobalt improves thermal and chemical stability, but at the cost of electrical conductivity - a tradeoff the team set out to manage in SmBaCo_2xFe_2(1-x)O_5+δ (SBCF) cathodes.

Sofab Inks has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant worth US$300,165 from the National Science Foundation. The award will fund development of liquid-processable tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticle inks as an electron transport layer (ETL) for fullerene-free perovskite solar cells, designed to be affordable and compatible with industrial coating methods.

The project will focus on how ink formulation, thin-film properties, and processing conditions affect electron transport layer quality, with testing to evaluate film uniformity, electronic performance, device stability, and scalable deposition methods. The goal is to reduce manufacturing costs for perovskite modules and cut reliance on imported materials in the solar supply chain - building on the SnO2-based ETL work Sofab Inks has already been advancing commercially. Several prominent labs, including the Washington Clean Energy Test Beds and the National Lab of the Rockies, are listed as collaborators on the project.

GCL Perovskite has completed an end-to-end production run on its GW-scale perovskite module manufacturing line, covering the full process from raw-material intake through to large-area module production. The company said commercial module deliveries are gradually increasing as it shifts focus to production stabilization and yield ramp-up, with current priorities centered on equipment stability during continuous operation, overall line yield, material utilization, and reducing unit manufacturing costs.

In its end-to-end production run, GCL Perovskite covered the entire process from raw-material intake to the production of large-area modules. Image Credit: GCL Perovskite, from taiyangnews

GCL Perovskite also said its 2 m² single-junction perovskite module has received third-party certification to IEC 61215, while its perovskite-crystalline silicon tandem module has received both IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 certification. The company led drafting of a space perovskite PV module standard last month.

Researchers at ITMO University, the Kurchatov Institute's Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, and Harbin Institute of Technology have developed a solvothermal synthesis route for cesium lead halide (CsPbX₃, where X is chlorine, bromine, or iodine) perovskite nanostructures that gives precise control over both chemical composition and morphology, producing nanocrystals and nanoplatelets with tailored optical properties for optoelectronic and sensing applications.

Conventional methods for making perovskite nanocrystals, such as hot-injection and ligand-assisted reprecipitation, can produce high-quality emitters but tend to have narrow processing windows and fast, hard-to-control nucleation, making it difficult to reliably produce monodisperse one- or two-dimensional nanostructures at scale. Solvothermal synthesis, carried out at moderate temperatures of 100–200°C and elevated pressure inside sealed autoclaves, instead shifts crystal growth from a kinetically driven to a thermodynamically controlled process. The team used this approach as a multi-variable toolkit, adjusting reaction temperature, time, and precursor ratios to steer crystal growth along specific crystallographic facets.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield, AMRC Sheffield, solar-powered drone developer Limosaero, and Loughborough University have secured funding to integrate perovskite photovoltaics directly onto carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), the structural material used in aircraft skins, as part of a UK government push to build aircraft that can hold station in the stratosphere for extended periods.

The project, led by David G. Lidzey at the University of Sheffield and titled "Structural Solar: Integrating perovskite PV onto carbon fiber for high specific power," is one of 18 teams sharing £70 million (about US$80.2 million) from the UK's Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) under its Enduring Atmospheric Platforms program. The program targets aircraft able to continuously supply 300 watts of power to a communications payload for a full week while holding station above the UK, with the aim of creating a new connectivity layer between the ground and space. Structural Solar sits within the program's Technical Area 1, which funds materials and power technologies meant to de-risk development of a full stratospheric platform; ARIA has not disclosed the funding amount awarded to this specific project out of the overall £70 million.

BOE Technology Group plans to invest more than CNY80 billion (about US$11.9 billion) in R&D and CNY800 billion (about US$119.3 billion) in procurement over the next five years as part of a broader push into what chairman Chen Yanshun called "integrated optoelectronics". The plan spans four technology areas: glass-based perovskite solar cells, glass substrates for advanced semiconductor packaging, Micro-LED optical interconnects, and foldable glass.

Glass-based perovskite photovoltaics is one of the four, alongside chip-packaging substrates aimed at AI and high-performance computing hardware, Micro-LED-based optical interconnects intended to ease bandwidth and power bottlenecks in chip-to-chip connections, and foldable glass developed with Corning. BOE said its perovskite solar cell line, already running at pilot scale, is shipping product - consistent with the company's earlier updates on accelerating that pilot line toward mass production.

Perovskia Solar has announced a transition from lab-scale development to commercial-scale manufacturing and commenced shipping custom-designed perovskite cells to customers. The company previously launched the Sun-a-Wear UV tracker, which it describes as the first commercially available product powered by perovskite photovoltaics, and now supplies cells to customers developing energy-autonomous electronics such as IoT sensors and other smart devices, including a US-based customer building a tracking device. CEO and Founder Anand Verma said the company also has proof-of-concept projects underway with industrial and tech partners across Europe and Asia.

Perovskia has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian company AkashaLabdhi to explore its perovskite photovoltaic technology for space applications. Verma was careful to frame the scope of the agreement: "At this stage, we are working to provide cells for evaluation and qualification purposes, rather than confirming their deployment on future Indian satellites or space stations. Space-grade applications require extensive testing, and this partnership is a crucial first step."