Flexible Perovskite Solar Cell Technologies

Flexible perovskite solar cells combine the high light‐harvesting efficiency and low fabrication cost of hybrid perovskite absorbers with mechanical compliance on plastic or ultrathin metal‐mesh substrates. Through low‐temperature solution or vapour‐deposition routes, perovskite films can be formed on bendable supports while retaining power conversion efficiencies approaching those of rigid devices. Key advances centre on transparent conductive electrodes that balance optical transmittance and electrical conductivity, interface engineering to enhance adhesion and suppress defect formation, and encapsulation strategies to guard against moisture, oxygen and mechanical fatigue. Roll‐to‐roll processing and novel substrate materials promise scalable manufacture of large‐area modules for wearable electronics, building‐integrated photovoltaics and portable power sources. Bio‐inspired crystallisation templates, self‐healing polymers and liquid‐crystal elastomer interlayers address mechanical robustness and long-term stability, while emerging tandem architectures on flexible platforms point to further gains in efficiency. These developments underscore the global significance of light‐weight, conformable solar harvesters for next-generation energy and sensing applications.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have introduced hyperbranched polymer adhesives at the electron-transport interface to double interface fracture energy and achieve flexible device efficiencies above 23.8%, while simultaneously trapping lead ions to reduce environmental risk. Parallel work has demonstrated the incorporation of aligned liquid-crystal elastomer interlayers that lock mesogenic order upon photopolymerisation, boosting flexible cell efficiency above 22% and maintaining over 80% of initial performance after 5,000 bending cycles and extended outdoor operation. Earlier seminal research established reaction-formed interpenetrating interfaces between perovskite and tin-dioxide transport layers, delivering flexible efficiencies over 20% with 1,000 h of operational stability and endurance through 2,500 bending cycles, thereby highlighting interface integrity as a cornerstone of mechanical and operational robustness.

Flexible Perovskite Solar Cell Technologies publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in flexible perovskite solar cell technologies across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Perovskite: A crystalline structure (ABX₃) with exceptional optoelectronic properties used as the light-absorbing layer in solar cells.

Power Conversion Efficiency (PCE): Ratio of electrical power output to incident light power, a key performance metric of solar cells.

Transparent Conductive Electrode (TCE): A layer combining optical transparency with electrical conductivity, often based on metal meshes, doped oxides or carbon materials.

Charge Transport Layer: Semiconductor layers (electron- or hole-transporting) that facilitate selective extraction of photogenerated carriers.

p–i–n Architecture: Device layout with sequential hole-transport (p), intrinsic perovskite absorber (i) and electron-transport (n) layers.

Roll-to-Roll Processing: Continuous fabrication technique for large-scale coating and patterning on flexible substrates.

Interface Fracture Energy: Measure of the energy required to propagate a crack at a material interface, critical for mechanical durability.

References

1. Progress and Challenges Toward Effective Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells. Nano-Micro Letters (2023).
2. Hyperbranched polymer functionalized flexible perovskite solar cells with mechanical robustness and reduced lead leakage. Nature Communications (2023).
3. Wearable perovskite solar cells by aligned liquid crystal elastomers. Nature Communications (2023).
4. Interpenetrating interfaces for efficient perovskite solar cells with high operational stability and mechanical robustness. Nature Communications (2021).
5. Self‐healing polymers in rigid and flexible perovskite photovoltaics. InfoMat (2024).
6. Functional Layers of Inverted Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells and Effective Technologies for Device Commercialization. Small Structures (2023).
7. Recent Progress of Electrode Materials for Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells. Nano-Micro Letters (2022).