Solvent Engineering for Perovskite Solar Cells

Solvent engineering has emerged as a cornerstone in the fabrication of high-performance perovskite solar cells, offering precise control over film formation, morphology and optoelectronic properties. By tailoring solvent composition, volatility and coordination behaviour, researchers can regulate nucleation and crystal growth, minimise defect formation and enhance device stability. Key parameters such as solvent donor number, basicity and vapour pressure govern the interactions between solvent molecules and precursor species, dictating colloidal assembly in solution and the evolution of intermediate phases. Strategic use of co-solvents and antisolvents further refines crystallisation kinetics, enabling uniform, large-area coatings and compatibility with scalable production techniques. As the field advances, solvent engineering is driving both performance improvements—exceeding 25 % power conversion efficiency in the laboratory—and practical pathways to cost-effective, eco-friendly and industrially viable perovskite photovoltaics.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have introduced a universal co-solvent dilution strategy in which a highly volatile secondary solvent is added to dilute perovskite precursors below 0.5 M concentration, dramatically reducing material usage and toxic waste by over 70 % while preserving film quality and device efficiency. Mechanistic investigations reveal that rapid evaporation of the co-solvent alters precursor colloidal chemistry in situ, stabilises the solution over extended periods and extends the processing window, making the approach robust across multiple perovskite compositions and scalable from small cells to large modules. In a complementary advance, the use of gaseous ammonia as a post-healing treatment has been shown to eliminate voids in formamidinium-based films. By exploiting a transimination mechanism between ammonia and the formamidinium cation, a liquid intermediate is formed at low temperature, enabling the formation of compact, defect-sparse perovskite layers. The resulting devices achieve peak efficiencies above 23 % with excellent reproducibility and module efficiencies exceeding 20 % on 14 cm² areas, underscoring the potential of additive-free gas treatments for scalable manufacturing.

Solvent Engineering for Perovskite Solar Cells publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in solvent engineering for perovskite solar cells across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Precursor solution: A liquid mixture containing perovskite reactants and solvents used for film deposition.

Co-solvent: A secondary solvent added to modify solution properties such as viscosity, volatility or coordination strength.

Antisolvent: A non-solvent introduced during film formation to induce rapid crystallisation of the perovskite layer.

Nucleation: The initial formation of small crystalline clusters that serve as seeds for film growth.

Crystallisation kinetics: The rate and mechanism by which perovskite crystals form and grow from solution.

Donor number: A measure of a solvent’s ability to donate electron density to metal cations, influencing precursor coordination.

References

1. A universal co-solvent dilution strategy enables facile and cost-effective fabrication of perovskite photovoltaics. Nature Communications (2022).
2. Ammonia for post-healing of formamidinium-based Perovskite films. Nature Communications (2022).
3. Solubility of Hybrid Halide Perovskites in DMF and DMSO. Molecules (2021).
4. Binary Solvent System Used to Fabricate Fully Annealing‐Free Perovskite Solar Cells. Advanced Energy Materials (2023).