Perovskites are hybrid materials made from metal halides and organic compounds. They have attracted a lot of interest in the field of solar energy bec
Perovskites are hybrid materials made from metal halides and organic compounds. They have attracted a lot of interest in the field of solar energy because of their light-harvesting capacities combined with a low cost of manufacturing, making them prime candidates to overtake the market from their silicon counterparts. Perovskites also show great potential in a range of applications that include LED lights, lasers and photodetectors.
In a new study published in Nature Nanotechnology, scientists led by Mohammad Nazeeruddin at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have found a way to overcome the scaling up problems of perovskites. The scientists have developed an easy solvothermal method to produce single-crystalline titanium dioxide rhombohedral nanoparticles that can be used to build a perovskite film.
The new structure features a lower amount of “lattice” mismatches, referring to the “ladder-like” structure of the titanium dioxide nanoparticles. This translates into a lower number of defects, which ensures better electron flow throughout with lower power loss.
Testing the new nanoparticle-based, small-size solar cells, the scientists achieved a power-conversion efficiency of 24.05% and a fill factor (a measure of actual obtainable power) of 84.7%. The cells also maintain about 90% of their initial performance after continuous operation for 1400 hours.
The scientists also fabricated large-area cells, which certified an efficiency of 22.72% with an active area of nearly 24 cm2. This “represents the highest efficiency modules with the lowest loss in efficiency when scaling up,” conclude the authors.
Fonte: Techxpolore.it