Perovskite applications - Page 12

Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) have attracted much attention lately. These devices do not operate via the conduction of oxide ions (O²⁻) but light protons (H⁺) with smaller valence. A key feature of PCFCs is their ability to function at low and intermediate temperatures in the range of 50–500 °C. However, PCFCs based on perovskite electrolytes reported thus far suffer from low proton conductivity at low and intermediate temperatures.

A research team, led by Professor Masamoto Yashima from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), in collaboration with High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), has set out to address this limitation of perovskite-based proton conductors. 

China-based global PV and ESS supplier, Jinko Solar, has announced a significant breakthrough in the development of its N-type TOPCon-based perovskite tandem solar cell.

Tested by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, the cell reportedly achieved an impressive conversion efficiency of 33.24%. This enhancement surpasses JinkoSolar's previous record of 32.33% for the same type of tandem cells.

It was reported that Renshine Solar will open a gigawatt-scale perovskite PV module factory in Jiangsu province, with a planned investment of CNY 1 billion ($138 million). 

The CNY 1 billion gigawatt-scale perovskite cell project will be located in the Economic and Technological Development Zone (ETDZ) in Changshu, Jiangsu province, China. The Company started operating a 150 MW production line for perovskite modules in January. It has since claimed that its commercial modules have achieved a power conversion efficiency of 18.4%.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with Japan's Yamagata University, developed three isomeric bisphosphonate-anchored self-assembled molecules (SAMs) to achieve highly efficient and stable inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs).

The wettability, absorbability and compactness of SAMs, which are used as hole-transporting layers (HTLs) for PSCs, critically affect the efficiency and stability of the devices. Therefore, the researchers proposed a molecular strategy to synthesize three bisphosphonate-anchored indolocarbazole (IDCz)-derived SAMs, namely IDCz-1, IDCz-2, and IDCz-3. The three SAMs with different positions of the two nitrogen atoms in the IDCz unit were each employed on conductive oxide substrates for inverted PSCs.

Researchers at China's Qingdao University of Science and Technology and Canada's University of Toronto have developed a thermal regulation strategy by incorporating carboranes into perovskites to improve the performance of inverted tin-lead perovskite tech for all-perovskite tandem solar cells. 

The Chinese-Canadian research group has designed a monolithic all-perovskite tandem solar cell that utilizes a top inverted perovskite PV device based on an absorber made with mixed tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskite via the newly developed thermal regulation strategy.

Empa and ETH Zurich researchers are working to develop image sensors made of perovskite that could deliver true-color photos even in poor lighting conditions. Unlike conventional image sensors, where the pixels for red, green and blue lie next to each other in a grid, perovskite pixels can be stacked, thus greatly increasing the amount of light each individual pixel can capture.

A consortium comprising Maksym Kovalenko from Empa's Thin Films and Photovoltaics laboratory, Ivan Shorubalko from Empa's Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces laboratory, as well as ETH Zurich researchers Taekwang Jang and Sergii Yakunin, is working on an image sensor made of perovskite capable of capturing considerably more light than its silicon counterpart. 

Microquanta, a perovskite solar cell manufacturer based in Hangzhou, China, has announced its latest procurement of state-of-the-art vacuum deposition equipment from SMIT Thermal Solutions. This significant acquisition, surpassing 9 million Euros in value, marks a pivotal moment in Microquanta's journey towards launching the world's first gigawatt-scale (GW) perovskite solar cell factory in Hangzhou.

This collaboration with SMIT Thermal Solutions is not a first for Microquanta; the Dutch-based company has been a partner since 2018, starting with a pilot setup, followed by the delivery of a mass production system for Microquanta's 100MW factory. The latest deal involves cutting-edge next-generation mass production systems, tailored to meet the ambitious scale and efficiency goals of Microquanta's GW factory.

Researchers from China's Hangzhou Dianzi University and Jiaxing University have developed a strategy for optimizing the bottom region of perovskite solar cells and designed an inverted perovskite solar cell using the new strategy. The proposed cell was treated with two molecules known as 2-mercaptoimidazole and 2-mercaptobenzimidazole and was based on a hole transport layer relying on a self-assembled monolayer.

“The HTLs prepared with SAM materials not only have negligible parasitic absorption, low material consumption, and stable adhesion but also exhibit inherent passivation of defects on the bottom of perovskites,” the research team explained.

Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China and Hefei University of Technology have developed a proof-of-concept tandem solar cell tandem solar cell by using antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) for the bottom cell and a wide-bandgap organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite material for the top cell. The device reached a power conversion efficiency of more than 20%, which demonstrates that antimony selenide has a high potential for bottom-cell applications.

Antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) possesses a band gap of 1.05–1.2 eV and has been widely applied in single-junction solar cells. Based on its band gap, Sb₂Se₃ can also be used as the bottom cell absorber material in tandem solar cells. Sb₂Se₃-based solar cells also exhibit excellent stability with nontoxic compositional elements. In this recent work, the team demonstrated a perovskite/antimony selenide four-terminal tandem solar cell with a specially designed and fabricated transparent electrode for an optimized spectral response.

The Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) and Korean semiconductor equipment maker UniTest have announced the joint development of a large-area perovskite solar cell with 20.6% efficiency, which they define as a record-breaking achievement.

They reportedly received the world’s highest efficiency certification from Fraunhofer and will be listed on the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)’s solar cell efficiency chart.