Scientists develop perovskite solar cells with renewable capability

Chinese and foreign scientists have jointly developed perovskite solar cells with a self-recovery capability and high stability in humid environment by introducing polymer.

Perovskite solar cells, a new synthetic photovoltaic product, have an excellent photoelectric conversion rate of more than 25 percent, said the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

However, perovskite degrades easily when exposed to atmospheric conditions due to its sensitivity to humidity in the air.

Researchers from the HFIPS and abroad jointly found that polyvinylpyrrolidone, a long chain insulating polymer, could form hydrogen bonds with ions in the cells and also prevent moisture in the air from invading perovskite materials.

In the experiment, the cells showed a negligible decay in efficiency after 500 hours of operation at about 65 percent humidity, as well as a rapid self-recovery capability after being removed from the humid environment.

The findings have been published in the Journal of Energy Chemistry.