Next-generation perovskite solar cells are closer to commercial use
Scientists from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania, in collaboration with international partners, have achieved one of the highest efficiencies ever reported for fully inorganic perovskite solar cells
Kaunas University of Technology
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Dr Kasparas Rakštys, a researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania
view moreCredit: KTU
As renewable energy technologies advance, researchers aim to make solar power more efficient, affordable, and durable. Scientists from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania, in collaboration with international partners, have achieved one of the highest efficiencies ever reported for fully inorganic perovskite solar cells. They have also demonstrated for the first time that these cells can operate stably for hundreds of hours, approaching the reliability of commercial silicon solar cells.
“Perovskite solar cells are one of the fastest-growing solar technologies in the world – they can be lightweight, thin-film, and flexible, and most importantly, they are made from inexpensive materials,” says Dr Kasparas Rakštys, a researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania.
However, the progress of these cells is limited by their biggest challenge – the relatively rapid degradation of perovskite, which leads to a decline in efficiency and material properties when exposed to changing atmospheric conditions such as humidity, temperature, or pressure.
An invention opens new possibilities in materials chemistry
To make perovskite technology commercially viable, ensuring its long-term stability is essential. One of the most important methods for reducing defects and protecting the surface from external factors is passivation. This process makes the perovskite surface more resistant to temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions, thereby extending the device’s lifetime. “Passivation makes the perovskite surface chemically inactive, eliminating the defects introduced during production,” explains the KTU researcher.
This strategy works particularly well in hybrid perovskites – a thin 2D layer on top of a 3D perovskite surface not only protects the material from moisture but also improves its efficiency and durability. However, with completely inorganic perovskites, the situation is much more complicated. “Simply put, 2D layers do not stick to pure inorganic perovskite,” says Dr Rakštys.
Working in collaboration with international partners, KTU scientists set out to solve this problem. The solution was found in a KTU laboratory, where perfluorinated 2D ammonium cations were synthesised. Fluorine atoms, being strongly electronegative, reduce the electron density of the ammonium group enabling the hydrogen bonding between anchoring ammonium group and lead iodide fragments.
“The result was the formation of a stable 2D layer on the surface of the 3D inorganic perovskite. This time, the 2D layers finally adhered, forming robust heterostructures that remain stable even at high temperatures,” Dr Rakštys emphasises.
This achievement is particularly significant at a fundamental level. Until now, it was believed that such structures were difficult to achieve in fully inorganic perovskites. The successful creation of stable 2D/3D heterostructures opens up new possibilities in materials chemistry and provides more tools for scientists developing more reliable solar technologies.
One of the best results in efficiency was achieved
By integrating this passivation strategy into solar cells, the team achieved one of the highest efficiencies to date – more than 21 per cent – was achieved. Moreover, when constructing perovskite solar mini-modules with an active area more than 300 times larger than that of standard laboratory-tested perovskite cells, these mini-modules reached an efficiency of almost 20 per cent. They also demonstrated stable operation for more than 950 hours at 85°C under continuous light – an even more impressive achievement.
According to the KTU expert, this is one of the best results ever recorded for devices based on fully inorganic perovskites. “Although solar cells do not normally reach such high temperatures under real operating conditions, these standardised stability tests are used to assess their long-term durability, and such high stability is practically comparable to the requirements of commercial silicon cells,” he adds.
This research was carried out by an international team of more than 20 scientists and published in Nature Energy, one of the most prestigious scientific journals. It represents not only a technological breakthrough but also is a significant global recognition. According to Dr Rakštys, such achievements demonstrate that next-generation solar technologies are moving closer to real commercialisation.
The article Cation interdiffusion control for 2D/3D heterostructure formation and stabilisation in inorganic perovskite solar modules, published in Nature Energy, can be found here.
Journal
Nature Energy
Article Title
Cation interdiffusion control for 2D/3D heterostructure formation and stabilization in inorganic perovskite solar modules
Global efficiency record set for large triple-junction perovskite solar cell
Vital steps made to stabilize next-generation renewable energy technology
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Sydney research team led by Professor Anita Ho-Baillie (centre) in the laboratories of the Sydney Nanoscience Hub, University of Sydney.
view moreCredit: The University of Sydney
A University of Sydney-led team has set a record for solar technology, creating the largest and most efficient triple-junction perovskite-perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell reported.
Led by Professor Anita Ho-Baillie, John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience at the University of Sydney Nano Institute and School of Physics, the result demonstrates high efficiency and durability, important steps for overcoming barriers to the development of perovskite tandem solar cell technology.
The team’s 16 cm2 triple-junction cell achieved an independently certified steady-state power conversion efficiency of 23.3 percent, the highest reported for a large-area device of this kind. At the smaller scale, a 1 cm2 cell recorded 27.06 percent efficiency and set new standards for thermal stability.
The results are published today in the high-impact journal Nature Nanotechnology.
In a global first, the 1 cm2 cell passed the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC) Thermal Cycling test, which exposes devices to 200 cycles of extreme temperature swings between -40 and 85 degrees. This cell retained 95 percent of its efficiency after more than 400 hours of continuous operation under light.
A triple-junction solar cell uses three interconnected semiconductors, each absorbing a different part of the solar spectrum to maximise conversion of the Sun’s energy into electricity.
HOW THE TEAM DID IT
Professor Ho-Baillie, also part of the University of Sydney Net Zero Institute, said this latest advance was achieved by re-engineering the chemistry of the perovskite material and the triple junction cell design.
“We improved both the performance and the resilience of these solar cells,” she said. “This not only demonstrates that large, stable perovskite devices are possible but also shows the enormous potential for further efficiency gains.”
The researchers replaced less stable methylammonium, commonly used in high-efficiency perovskite cells, with rubidium creating a perovskite lattice that is less prone to defects and degradation. They also replaced the less stable lithium fluoride with piperazinium dichloride for a new surface treatment.
To connect the two perovskite junctions, the researchers used gold at the nanoscale and, using advanced transmission electron microscopy, clarified that gold at this scale is in the form of nanoparticles, not as a continuous film as many perceived. The team used this knowledge to engineer gold nanoparticle coverage to maximise the flow of electric charge and light absorption by the solar cell.
These developments enabled the triple-junction cell to sustain high efficiencies over more time and under stress.
FUTURE SOLAR ENERGY
Perovskites are an emerging class of photovoltaic materials valued for their low-cost manufacturing and ability to capture more of the solar spectrum when stacked in multiple layers with silicon. Until now, however, scaling devices beyond the laboratory and ensuring their stability under real-world conditions have been major challenges.
“This is the largest triple-junction perovskite device yet demonstrated and it has been rigorously tested and certified by independent laboratories,” Professor Ho-Baillie said. “That gives us further confidence that the technology can be scaled for practical use.”
The research was carried out in collaboration with international partners from China, Germany and Slovenia, with support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Australian Research Council.
The publication follows recognition of Professor Ho-Baillie’s leadership in solar research at the 2025 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes for Science, where she was awarded the Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research for her pioneering work on perovskite solar technology.
“It is an exciting time for solar research,” Professor Ho-Baillie said. “Perovskites are already showing us that we can push efficiencies beyond the limits of silicon alone. These advances mean we are moving closer to cheaper, more sustainable solar energy that will help power a low-carbon future.”
DOWNLOAD photos of research team with the solar cells and research paper at this link.
RESEARCH
Zheng, J. et al ‘Tailoring nanoscale interfaces for perovskite-perovskite-silicon triple-junction solar cells’ (Nature Nanotechnology 2025) DOI: 10.1038/s41565-025-02015-x
DECLARATION
The researchers declare no competing interests. Funding was received from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Australian Research Council, Slovenian ARIS research program.
The authors acknowledge the scientific and technical assistance of the Research & Prototype Foundry Core Research Facility at the University of Sydney, part of the Australian National Fabrication Facility and Electron Microscopy Unit at UNSW.
The 1 square-centimetre perovskite solar cells built in the Sydney Nanoscience Hub by a team led by Professor Anita Ho-Baillie.
Research lead Professor Anita Ho-Baillie in the Sydney Nanoscience Hub, University of Sydney.
Credit
The University of Sydney
Journal
Nature Nanotechnology
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Not applicable
Article Title
Tailoring nanoscale interfaces for perovskite-perovskite-silicon triple-junction solar cells
Article Publication Date
7-Oct-2025
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