ITMO: Perovskite solar cells with increased efficiency

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2023: Announcement of perovskite solar cells with improved efficiency

The physicists of ITMO, Alfer University and the Roman university Tor Vergata have developed perovskite solar cells with increased efficiency. It was possible to optimize the characteristics of solar panels using semiconductors in the form of thread-like nanocrystals. The proposed technology opens up additional opportunities in the creation of solar power plants and next-generation optical devices. The results of the study are published in the journal ACS Applied Energy Materials. This was announced on April 5, 2023 by representatives of ITMO.

High efficiency perovskite solar cells

As reported, solar panels made of perovskite in the foreseeable future may replace the usual solar panels made of silicon. They are quite easy to manufacture, while they are able to generate the same amount of electricity from the same area as silicon ones. The maximum efficiency value that scientists managed to achieve in April 2023 is about 25%. To optimize efficiency, most often additional substances are included in the composition of perovskite films - for example, nanomaterials.

Russian and Italian researchers conducted experiments with a fairly promising class of A3B5 compounds - semiconductor materials. These are filamentous nanocrystals, resembling nanoneedles in their structure. Among other conductors, they are distinguished by suitable electrophysical properties: they perfectly absorb light, have low optical losses, optimal thermal conductivity and are involved in charge transfer. For perovskite solar panels, these substances were used for the first time. Thanks to them, scientists were able to increase the efficiency of converting light into electricity from 17% to 18.8%.

We selected Class A3V5 semiconductors suitable for perovskites. Then, in the course of calculations and experiments, they chose the most optimal option in terms of composition, thickness and length of thread-like crystals - gallium phosphide. We added these nanonities to the composition of perovskite solar cells. When viewed under a microscope, the crystals on the devices will look like scattered short hairs. The combination of two different semiconductors (perovskite + A3B5) made it possible to obtain a solar cell that is able to ultimately generate more electricity. This effect was obtained by optimizing the transport of charges: the introduced nanocrystals function as conduction channels for free charges formed under the influence of light. told Alexandra Furasova, first author of the project, junior researcher at the Physics Department of ITMO

According to the authors of the project, 18.8% is not the limit on the efficiency of hybrid solar panels. They plan to continue experimenting with other A3B5 semiconductors to find one that will allow for maximum efficiency. The research of scientists will help in the creation of many transitional solar cells (several solar cells combined into one, each part of which absorbs a certain part of the solar spectrum). Such devices in the future can be used to generate electricity in space, as well as the development of autonomous low-power gadgets (for example, wireless sensors and sensors).

The project is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher formations RUSSIAN FEDERATION (Project 075-15-2021-1349) and (Russian Science Foundation grant number 22-79-10286).

See also

• Halide perovskites