June 2021

Hunt Perovskite Technologies has joined forces with 1366 Technologies, a US-based energy company, in a newly formed company Known as CubicPVâ„¢.

The merger combines two technologies ' 1366's Direct Wafer® process and HPT's printed perovskite photovoltaic (PV) technology ' to bring to market tandem modules. The newly combined company, called CubicPV, will also receive $25 million in funding from Hunt Energy Enterprises, L.L.C. (HEE), First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and others. HEE will join the Board of Directors.

Researchers from ITMO University, the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), the Image Processing Systems Institute of RAS, and Tokai University (Japan) have discovered a way to fashion perovskite microcrystals into desired shapes for further use in the production of lenses and other optoelectronic elements without loss of quality.

This research opens up new opportunities for the creation of micro-optical elements that could be used in microchips and other optoelectronic devices.

Researchers at HZB, Humboldt University and Technische Universität Berlin have used small-angle scattering at the PTB X-ray beamline of BESSY II to experimentally investigate the colloidal chemistry of perovskite precursor solutions used for solar cell production. The results could contribute to the optimization of the manufacturing process and quality of perovskite materials.

Until now, the team explains, it has not been possible to achieve a comprehensive impression of the role of the colloidal chemistry in the precursor that is considered to be directional for crystallinity and the further processing. Now, a team led by Prof. Antonio Abate has used small-angle scattering to experimentally determine how the initially disordered elements in the precursor solution find their way into primary subunits, interacting and thus providing a first "pre crystalline" arrangement for further conversion to perovskite thin films.

University of Cambridge and Cornell University Researchers have done 'cradle-to-grave' life cycle assessments of a variety of perovskite solar cell architectures, and found that substrates with conducting oxides and energy-intensive heating processes are the largest contributors to primary energy consumption, global warming potential and other types of impact.

The team therefore focus on these materials and processes when expanding to 'cradle-to-cradle' analyses with recycling as the end-of-life scenario. Their results revealed that recycling strategies can lead to a decrease of up to 72.6% in energy payback time and a reduction of 71.2% in greenhouse gas emission factor.

Chinese module maker JinkoSolar has made an announcement in its financial statement for the first quarter of the year, promising perovskite cell technology platform that will deliver efficiencies close to 30%.

'JinkoSolar's long-term commitment to R&D has enabled it to continue to launch industry leading products. We have also completed the construction of a high-efficiency laminated perovskite cell technology platform that is expected to reach a breakthrough cell conversion efficiency of over 30% within the year', says Company representative.

Researchers from EPFL, Universität Tübingen and University of Fribourg, led by Professor Michael Grätzel at EPFL's School of Basic Sciences, used a novel method with multimodal host-guest complexation to significantly improve the stability of perovskite solar cells while also reducing the release of lead into the environment. The strategy involves using a member of the crown ethers, a family of cyclic compounds whose ring-like atomic structure resembles a crown.

The researchers used the dibenzo-21-crown-7 in the fabrication of formamidinium lead iodide perovskite solar cells. They demonstrated the efficiency of this synergistic approach with cesium metal ions, for which the crown ether shows a strong affinity. Acting as a vehicle, the crown ether assembles at the perovskite film's interface and delivers the cesium ions into its interior.

Rice University scientists have created microscopic seeds for growing uniform 2D perovskite crystals that are both stable and highly efficient at harvesting electricity from sunlight. Rice's seeded growth method addresses both performance and production issues and could promote perovskite photovoltaic technology.

Chemical engineers from Rice's Brown School of Engineering describe how to make the seeds and use them to grow homogenous thin films of materials comprised of uniformly thick layers. In laboratory tests, photovoltaic devices made from the films proved both efficient and reliable, a previously problematic combination for devices made from either 3D or 2D perovskites.

Researchers from North Carolina State University have shown that a commonly studied perovskite can superfluoresce at temperatures that are practical to achieve and at timescales long enough to make it potentially useful in quantum computing applications. The team also found that superfluorescence may be a common characteristic for this entire class of materials.

Superfluorescence is an example of quantum phase transition ' when individual atoms within a material all move through the same phases in tandem, becoming a synchronized unit.

A research team led by Professor Jang-Sik Lee of Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has developed a halide perovskite-based memory with ultra-fast switching speed.

Resistive switching memory is a promising contender for next-generation memory device due to its advantages of simple structure and low power consumption. Various materials have been previously studied for resistive switching memory. Among them, halide perovskites are receiving much attention for use in the memory because of low operation voltage and high on/off ratio. However, halide perovskite-based memory devices have limitations like slow switching speed which hinder their practical application in memory devices.

researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), led by Professor Yabing Qi, have demonstrated that creating a raw material used for perovskite solar cells in a different way could be key to the success of these cells.

'There's a necessary crystalline powder in perovskites called FAPbI₃, which forms the perovskite's absorber layer,' explained one of the lead authors, Dr. Guoqing Tong, Postdoctoral Scholar at OIST. 'Previously, this layer was fabricated by combining two materials ' PbI₂ and FAI. The reaction that takes place produces FAPbI₃. But this method is far from perfect. There are often leftovers of one or both of the original materials, which can impede the efficiency of the solar cell.'