Scientists count on facet engineering for more stable perovskite solar cells

• Scientists at Switzerland's EPFL as well as Sungkyunkwan University in Korea have attended to the issue of perovskite solar cells' stability.

They concentrated on the deterioration of perovskite thin films, which can be damaged by direct exposure to moisture, heat, and also light. The group considered 2 specific crystal facets (the crystal's flat surface), characterized by a particular arrangement of atoms. The arrangement of atoms on these facets can affect the properties and also habits of the crystal, such as its stability and its feedback to external stimuli like moisture or heat.

The researchers considered the (100) and (111) facets of perovskite crystals. The (100) facet is a plane that is perpendicular to a crystal's c-axis with its atoms arranged in a duplicating pattern in the form of a square grid. In the (111) facet the atoms are prepared in a triangular grid. The study discovered that the (100) facet, which is most commonly located in perovskite thin films, is specifically prone to degradation as it can rapidly change to an unpredictable, inactive phase when subjected to moisture. On the other hand, the (111) facet was discovered to much more stable and resistant to destruction.

The scientists likewise identified the root cause of the deterioration and also found that it was due to a strong bond in between the perovskite as well as water molecules, which created the transition from the stable to unsteady phase. They utilized this info to establish a method called "facet engineering," in which they utilized special ligand molecules to grow the much more stable (111) facet. This led to perovskite films that were extremely stable as well as resistant to both moisture as well as heat.

The research study's searchings for provide a much better understanding of just how the various crystal facets add to the stability of the films; by identifying the most stable facets and finding ways to motivate their growth, it might be possible to enhance the overall stability of PSCs and also accelerate their entry right into the market as a reliable and affordable source of renewable energy.