Record-Breaking Flexible, Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells Achieve 21.4% Efficiency, 61.3% Transparency, and a 27.7% Tandem World Record via Buried-Interface Engineering

July 12, 2026

ACS Energy Letters USA

Overview

Researchers have achieved a new world record for flexible semitransparent perovskite solar cells (FS-PSCs), reaching 21.4% efficiency with 61.3% near-infrared transparency, thanks to advanced buried-interface engineering. These devices exhibit remarkable stability and mechanical durability, and when integrated into a four-terminal tandem configuration with a flexible silicon cell, they achieved an unprecedented 27.7% power conversion efficiency. This milestone promises to accelerate the deployment of highly efficient, flexible, and transparent solar technologies.

In Depth

Background

Flexible and transparent solar cells promise to transform applications currently beyond the reach of conventional rigid, opaque photovoltaics, such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), smart windows, wearable electronics, and IoT sensors. However, their widespread adoption has been hindered by the inherent difficulty in simultaneously achieving high efficiency, excellent operational stability, and superior mechanical durability. Developing high-performance devices on flexible substrates that can withstand long-term use has remained a significant hurdle. This new research presents a tangible solution to these challenges, leveraging advanced interface engineering and innovative tandem architectures, marking a substantial stride towards the practical realization of this versatile technology.

Key Breakthroughs

This study unveils a significant leap forward in flexible semitransparent perovskite solar cells (FS-PSCs), reaching a champion power conversion efficiency of 21.4% while maintaining an impressive 61.3% near-infrared transparency. This remarkable performance was achieved through meticulous optimization of the buried interface within the cell structure. Even more significantly, when these FS-PSCs were integrated into a four-terminal tandem configuration with a flexible crystalline silicon bottom cell, the combined system achieved an unprecedented 27.7% power conversion efficiency, setting a new world record. This dual breakthrough dramatically elevates the performance benchmarks for next-generation solar cell technologies that combine the critical attributes of flexibility and transparency.

Technical Deep Dive

The core of this advancement lies in the precise engineering of the buried interface between the perovskite active layer and the adjacent charge transport layers. This meticulous control effectively minimizes non-radiative carrier recombination losses and maximizes the efficiency of charge extraction, leading to higher open-circuit voltages and fill factors. Beyond peak efficiency, the flexible semitransparent perovskite cells showcased exceptional operational stability, sustaining high performance for over 500 hours under continuous maximum power point tracking (MPPT) conditions. Mechanical robustness was also a key focus: the devices demonstrated remarkable resilience, retaining 94.5% of their initial efficiency even after 2000 cycles of bending, highlighting their suitability for highly dynamic and bendable electronic applications. The record-setting 27.7% power conversion efficiency was achieved using a four-terminal (4T) tandem architecture. This configuration is particularly advantageous as it allows for independent optimization of the top perovskite cell and the bottom crystalline silicon cell. The perovskite layer efficiently harvests shorter-wavelength light, while the silicon layer effectively converts the longer-wavelength light transmitted through the perovskite, thereby capturing a much broader portion of the solar spectrum than either material could achieve alone in a single-junction design.

Outlook and Impact

This world-record achievement marks a crucial step toward the accelerated commercialization of flexible, semitransparent perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. The development of transparent, high-efficiency solar cells unlocks unprecedented architectural design freedom, envisioning a future where urban landscapes are redefined by power-generating windows and building facades. Moreover, these flexible and transparent devices are poised to enable novel applications in wearable technology, portable electronics, and self-powered IoT sensors. The research team plans to continue pushing the boundaries of efficiency, actively working on scaling up the active area of these cells, and driving down manufacturing costs to make this technology economically viable. Ultimately, this innovative technology holds the promise of a future where solar energy harvesting is seamlessly and aesthetically integrated into the fabric of daily life, providing ubiquitous, distributed, and sustainable power solutions globally.

Source: https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGeQ7SuHF28ihFUaKnfaXKYL6lnTx2e_fu21yoqC2DGPLLxw-BxHPNEQTUJKHif5UjXrDY7IdyBX3fFm4HbeqLsaRwQS752lF3MNj8OwYVfx-VdpnLecuFL8VBsTq-PFaEShrgBhhZl2zRmCztN6V7X

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