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Nature Reviews Chemistry volume 9, pages 427–429 (2025)
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Introducing recyclability into photovoltaic design adds complexity. Recyclability depends on parameters governing material cohesion and separability, often conflicting with traditional criteria such as efficiency, stability and cost. Achieving circularity transforms solar-cell design into the art of managing intrinsic trade-offs, harmonizing the ease of material recovery with photovoltaic performance.
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This work was supported by the Helmholtz Association in the framework of the innovation platform “Solar TAP” (714-62150-3/1) and co-funded by the European Union (C2C-PV, project number 101088359). The views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. ChatGPT was used in the final revision to improve style, orthography and grammar.
Helmholtz-Institut Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energies, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Erlangen, Germany
I. M. Peters & C. J. Brabec
Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET), Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
C. J. Brabec
PubMed Google Scholar
PubMed Google Scholar
Correspondence to I. M. Peters.
The authors declare no competing interests.
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Peters, I.M., Brabec, C.J. The ideal recyclable solar cell. Nat Rev Chem 9, 427–429 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41570-025-00728-0
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