Perovskite Materials for Photovoltaic Applications

Perovskite materials, typically halide salts of the form ABX₃, have transformed photovoltaic research through their exceptional light absorption, long carrier diffusion lengths and facile solution processing. Their crystal lattice permits compositional tuning of the bandgap across the visible spectrum, enabling tandem architectures and semi‐transparent designs. Power conversion efficiencies have surged from single digits to over 25 per cent within a decade, rivalling commercial silicon cells. However, widespread deployment faces challenges of lead toxicity, environmental stability under moisture and thermal stress, and the propensity for ion migration and phase segregation. To address these, researchers have explored lead‐free alternatives, inorganic cation alloys, surface passivation strategies and ambient‐processing routes. The global significance of perovskite photovoltaics lies in their potential for low‐cost, scalable manufacture, flexible substrates and integration into building‐integrated and portable energy systems.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have advanced lead‐free and stability‐enhanced perovskite devices. A comprehensive analysis of low‐toxicity perovskite analogues highlighted tin, bismuth and germanium derivatives as promising candidates, while pointing to oxidation of Sn²⁺ and suboptimal film formation as key hurdles. All‐inorganic solid‐solutions of cesium–tin–germanium triiodide have achieved efficiencies of 7.1 per cent with under 10 per cent degradation after 500 hours of continuous illumination, thanks to a native‐oxide passivation layer that encapsulates and stabilises the absorber surface. Separately, the incorporation of thiocyanate ligands via a Pb(SCN)₂ precursor has enabled ambient‐air deposition of methylammonium lead iodide films at over 70 per cent relative humidity, delivering average efficiencies above 13.5 per cent and enhanced moisture tolerance without encapsulation. These advances interconnect by demonstrating that targeted chemical substitution and interfacial engineering can significantly prolong operational stability while retaining high performance.

Perovskite Materials for Photovoltaic Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in perovskite materials for photovoltaic applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Perovskite structure: A crystal architecture of general formula ABX₃, where A and B are cations and X is an anion, notable for flexibility in composition and electronic properties.

Bandgap: The energy difference between the valence and conduction bands; tuning this parameter dictates the range of absorbed wavelengths in a solar absorber.

Power conversion efficiency (PCE): The ratio of electrical power output from a solar cell to incident solar power, expressed as a percentage.

Native-oxide passivation: The formation of a thin oxide layer at the perovskite surface that reduces defect sites and inhibits degradation pathways.

Defect tolerance: The ability of a semiconductor to maintain performance despite the presence of atomic vacancies or interstitial impurities.

References

1. One-Step Gas–Solid-Phase Diffusion-Induced Elemental Reaction for Bandgap-Tunable CuaAgm1Bim2In/CuI Thin Film Solar Cells. Nano-Micro Letters (2023).
2. Compositional Transformation and Impurity‐Mediated Optical Transitions in Co‐Evaporated Cu2AgBiI6 Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications. Advanced Energy Materials (2024).
3. Prospects for low-toxicity lead-free perovskite solar cells. Nature Communications (2019).
4. Highly stable and efficient all-inorganic lead-free perovskite solar cells with native-oxide passivation. Nature Communications (2019).
5. Efficient and stable perovskite solar cells prepared in ambient air irrespective of the humidity. Nature Communications (2016).