The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub has awarded over $1.5 million to 15 projects driving commercial potential in transportation technologies.
Among the recipients are Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Xiwen Gong, whose research addresses the challenges in the large-scale production of perovskite solar cells. Gong’s project aims to create low-cost, large-scale perovskite solar cells with high efficiency and stability needed for potential applications in the electric and hybrid vehicle and industry.
The project focuses on optimizing the fabrication of high-quality perovskite thin films using advanced techniques like spray coating and blade or slot-die coating. Additionally, it aims to enhance the stability of perovskite solar cells by improving both the perovskite materials and the hole-transporting materials to strengthen their long-term operational stability.
“The feedback from the oversight committee was inspiring, offering insights from industrial perspectives essential for translating our perovskite solar cell technology into a market-ready solution,” Gong said. “I am extremely excited to receive the funding from MTRAC. This funding uniquely supports innovation in research by providing strong mentorship in addition to the funding.”
Previous research has shown that perovskite solar cells can achieve competitive efficiency in lab settings on a small scale, indicating their potential as a renewable energy solution in transportation. Gong’s team successfully created perovskite solar cells with a high efficiency using a lab-scale spin coating technique.
This project aims to enhance perovskite solar cells by increasing their size while maintaining over 25% efficiency and ensuring long-term stability. By making solar cells more economically viable for transportation, the low-cost integration of perovskite-based panels onto various surfaces, such as charging stations and vehicle exteriors, could support the transportation industry in transitioning to a more sustainable future.
