Chinese Academy of Sciences Boosts Perovskite Solar Cell Efficiency and Stability to 26.17% (Cell) & 23.14% (Mini-Module) with Glutathione Additive

Chinese Academy of Sciences China

Overview

A research team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a synergistic strategy based on glutathione (GSH) to simultaneously enhance the efficiency and stability of inverted perovskite solar cells. Combining “dynamic control” and “static protection,” this method improves interfacial properties and film quality. It achieved 26.17% conversion efficiency in small-area cells and 23.14% in mini-modules, demonstrating robust operational stability under high temperature, high humidity, continuous illumination, and UV exposure. This technique is expected to accelerate practical application and large-scale deployment of perovskite solar cells.

In Depth

Background

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as one of the most promising technologies in the field of photovoltaics. However, their commercialization faces two major challenges: maintaining high efficiency and ensuring long-term device stability. Specifically, effective strategies are needed to suppress defects at the perovskite layer interfaces and mitigate degradation mechanisms during operation. Traditional additive approaches often presented a trade-off, sacrificing either efficiency or stability, making a comprehensive, multi-functional approach essential to achieve both simultaneously.

Key Findings / Results

A research team from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed a novel synergistic strategy utilizing a glutathione (GSH) additive. This innovation successfully and simultaneously improved both the power conversion efficiency and operational stability of inverted perovskite solar cells (iPSCs). This groundbreaking strategy was realized by combining two functions of GSH: “dynamic control” and “static protection.” Dynamic control optimizes the perovskite crystal growth process, leading to improved film uniformity and quality. Meanwhile, static protection effectively passivates interfacial defects and safeguards the device from degradation caused by environmental factors such as high temperature, high humidity, light exposure, and UV radiation. As a result of this comprehensive approach, the developed small-area cells achieved a high conversion efficiency of 26.17%, and the mini-modules recorded an excellent efficiency of 23.14%. These devices also demonstrated significantly enhanced long-term operational stability under harsh conditions.

Technical Significance & Outlook

This GSH-based synergistic strategy developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences holds immense potential to significantly accelerate the practical application and large-scale deployment of perovskite solar cells. By simultaneously and fundamentally improving both efficiency and stability, this approach resolves the inherent trade-off issues faced by previous technologies. The demonstrated excellent performance at the mini-module level suggests that laboratory achievements are scalable for industrial applications, with widespread adoption expected in various fields, including building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and flexible devices. Future work will involve further expanding this technology to larger-area modules and advancing evaluations to meet international long-term reliability certification standards (e.g., IEC standards). This achievement underscores China’s reinforcing leadership in the technological development and commercialization of perovskite solar cells, and it is expected to have a significant impact on the future of sustainable energy technology.