Perovskite materials

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) recently gained better understanding of the origin of halide perovskites' extraordinary carrier lifetimes, by showing that halide perovskites are governed by unconventional electron–phonon physics, leading to the formation of topological polarons, a class of phonon-mediated electron/hole quasiparticles. 

The team's findings suggest that halide perovskites may be regarded as a class of quantum materials where electron–phonon couplings replace the traditional electron–electron interactions of correlated electron systems.

Researchers from China's Nankai University and Linköping University in Sweden have attempted to design a perovskite solar cell with the help of ChatGPT. The experiment helped the team to identify a series of materials for the cell composition and the results were cells with a higher power conversion efficiency compared to that of reference cells built without the material proposed by ChatGPT.

The scientists explored ChatGPT's ability to generate hypotheses for material science and identify untested molecules capable of reducing surface recombination and thereby boosting the efficiency of perovskite solar cells.

Canon has announced that it has developed a high-performance material which is expected to improve the durability and mass-production stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The Company aims to initiate mass production in 2025.

Canon stated that several issues are currently standing in the way of PSC commercialization. For one, the crystal structure of the perovskite layer (photoelectric conversion layer) is susceptible to the effects of water, heat, oxygen, etc. in the atmosphere, which results in low durability. Furthermore, it is difficult to achieve stable mass production when manufacturing perovskite solar cells with a large surface area. It has been recognized that a structure covering the perovskite layer is needed to solve these problems. Therefore, Canon developed a special functional material to coat the perovskite layer by applying the material technology it cultivated through the development of photosensitive members, a key component of multifunction office devices and laser printers.

MIT researchers have developed a new computer vision technique that significantly speeds up the characterization of newly synthesized electronic materials. The technique automatically analyzes images of printed semiconducting samples and quickly estimates two key electronic properties for each sample: band gap and stability.

Overview of the synthesis and characterization pipeline for perovskite semiconductors. Image credit: Nature Communications

The new technique reportedly characterizes electronic materials 85 times faster compared to the standard benchmark approach. The researchers intend to use the technique to speed up the search for promising solar cell materials. They also plan to incorporate the technique into a fully automated materials screening system.

Tokyo Chemical Industry (TCI), a global supplier of laboratory chemicals and specialty materials, is offering surface treatment reagents for perovskite solar panels. The company says that using its DMPESI materials, solar panel producers can realize superior device stability.

Figure, Perovskite solar cell device structure and comparison of solar cell performance using DMPESI

TCI's DMPESI materials offer strong bonding ability to perovskite surface, much higher than PEAI. The materials suppress the phase transition of FAPbI3 from α phase to δ phase. Thanks to the suppression of ion migration and the influence of the external atmosphere, the materials improve device stability even under high temperature and humidity.

Contact TCI now for more information on its DMPESI reagents.

Researchers from China's Ningbo University and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed a universal thermal reduction method to convert spent cobalt-based perovskites into high-performance bifunctional oxygen catalysts for zinc-air batteries (ZABs), achieving high-efficient Cobalt (Co) recovery and re-utilization. 

Cobalt is widely used in energy storage and conversion devices, although its content on our planet is not sufficient. Therefore, recycling it from spent Co-enriched materials is very valuable. Co-based perovskites, which contain abundant Co, are extensively utilized in solid oxide fuel cells, three-way catalysts, and oxygen-permeable membranes, and the recovery of Co from the spent Co-based perovskites is necessary to meet the long-term requirement of Co.

Researchers at EPFL, Shanghai University and Université catholique de Louvain recently developed a method based on machine-learning to quickly and accurately search large databases, leading to the discovery of 14 new materials for solar cells.

The research project, led by EPFL's Haiyuan Wang and Alfredo Pasquarello, developed a method that combines advanced computational techniques with machine-learning to search for optimal perovskite materials for photovoltaic applications. The approach could lead to more efficient and cheaper solar panels, transforming solar industry standards.

Researchers from Japan's Shibaura Institute of Technology and National Institute for Materials Science have developed a method to grow single-crystal perovskite hydrides, enabling accurate hydride conductivity measurements.

Perovskite hydrides, whose molecular structure contains hydrogen anions (H−), attract special attention because of their hydrogen-derived properties and many believe they can be useful for hydrogen storage technologies such as fuel cells and next-generation batteries, as well as energy-saving superconducting cables. However, measuring their intrinsic hydride-ion conductivity is difficult. In their recent study, the researchers addressed this issue using a novel laser deposition technique in an H-radical atmosphere. Using this approach, they grew thin-film single crystals of two different perovskite hydrides and characterized their hydride-ion conductivity. 

Crystallization, the phenomenon that transforms disordered atoms or molecules into ordered solid-state structures, is an immensely studied process. However, while researchers have made significant strides in controlling the nucleation of crystals from precursor solutions, directing their subsequent growth to form defect-free single crystals with tailored shapes has proven far more challenging. This limitation has been particularly problematic for materials like halide perovskites, where controlling the formation of defects results in better photoelectric properties. Conventional techniques like inverse temperature crystallization or antisolvent vapor-assisted crystallization allow some control over average growth conditions, but their ability to pattern arbitrary single-crystal geometries while suppressing defect formation has remained confined.

Now, researchers at Tsinghua University have demonstrated optofluidic crystallithography (OCL), a novel approach that leverages a laser as a precise "pen" to simultaneously control the shape and quality of single-crystal halide perovskites as they grow from solution at record speeds.

SoFab Inks, a supplier of specialty materials used in perovskite manufacturing, has introduced a new high-performance, low-cost electron transport layer (ETL), designed to enhance the durability and manufacturability of perovskite solar cells.

SoFab's new product is a functionalized nanoparticle ink that can be tuned with a dopant. This innovative ETL offers a range of benefits, including low-temperature solution processability, excellent photostability, high chemical stability, robust electron conductivity, good optical transparency, wide band gap, and favorable alignment with perovskites.

SoFab's team has reported a PCE of over 20% in an inverted perovskite solar cell architecture made with a plastic substrate. The Company anticipates that its patented ETL could serve as a viable substitute for the commonly employed C60, an expensive organic ETL notorious for delamination issues and Voc pinning.