South Korean researchers have solved the short-lifespan problem of perovskite solar cells, a promising next-generation technology, using an antioxidant. The approach applies taurine—widely known as an ingredient in fatigue-recovery supplements—to the cell’s internal interface to suppress degradation.
The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) announced on the 12th that a research team led by Professor Choi Jong-min of its Department of Energy Science and Engineering, working jointly with a team led by Dr. Moon Byung-jun at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Jeonbuk Institute, developed a technology that uses taurine to simultaneously improve the operational stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells. The findings were published as the cover paper in Advanced Energy Materials, an international journal in the energy field.
Perovskite solar cells are considered a high-efficiency material that could replace silicon, but their rapid performance decline when exposed to light and heat over long periods—as the crystal structure breaks down—has been cited as the biggest obstacle to commercialization. The research team traced the degradation to “superoxide,” a type of reactive oxygen species generated inside the cell. They identified the mechanism by which superoxide produced in the metal oxide layer during cell operation decomposes the structure of the adjacent perovskite layer.
The material chosen as the solution is taurine. The researchers coated taurine on the interface where tin oxide meets perovskite to form a thin antioxidant layer. This layer continuously removes superoxide generated during operation, preventing damage to the crystal structure. At the same time, it acts as a chemical bridge between the two materials, filling microscopic defects at the interface and facilitating electron transport, which also raises power conversion efficiency.
In tests, cells with taurine maintained more than 95% of their initial efficiency even after more than 500 hours of continuous light exposure. In an actual operational stability test, the time for efficiency to fall to 80% of its initial level (T80) increased from 23.6 hours to 130 hours—extending lifespan by about 5.5 times.
Note: T80 is the time required for power conversion efficiency to decline to 80% of its initial value.
What sets this technology apart is that it controls the inside of the cell rather than the outside. Existing protective technologies focused on blocking the ingress of external moisture and oxygen, but could not prevent degradation from reactive oxygen species generated internally even after sealing. The researchers experimentally confirmed that interface design alone can suppress this problem.
Still, significant challenges remain before commercialization. The technology has so far been demonstrated only at the cell level, and work is needed to scale it to manufacturing processes for large-area solar cells. The research team has set a goal of applying the technology to tandem solar cells to further raise power conversion efficiency and secure operational stability of more than 10,000 hours.
“Clearly revealing that superoxide generated from metal oxides during solar cell operation decomposes perovskite, and solving this by designing the interface with an antioxidant material, is highly significant,” said Choi Jong-min, a professor at DGIST. “This will become a core foundational technology that accelerates commercialization by improving the operational stability of perovskite solar cells.”
Perovskite solar cells have drawn attention as a next-generation photovoltaic material because they cost less to manufacture than silicon and can be applied to flexible substrates. However, they are vulnerable to moisture and heat, and laboratory efficiencies often are not reproduced in commercial modules. This study is seen as offering a clue to improving stability by focusing on chemical reactions at the interface rather than defects in the material itself. The solar industry expects that if perovskite technology with long-term reliability reaches the commercialization stage, it could enable further declines in the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and expand applications such as building-integrated and lightweight modules.
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