The power of perovskites
Andy Extance finds out how the efficiency of perovskite solar cells has risen so quickly
When Henry Snaith, a solar cell researcher based at the University of Oxford in the UK, saw how easy it was to make hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite crystals, he was hooked. In 2008, Snaith saw Tsutomu ‘Tom’ Miyasaka from Toin University of Yokohama, Japan, present dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) like he was studying, but using perovskite materials as the light-absorbing component. Though Miyasaka’s cell delivered a modest sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 3.8%, it ignited the hottest area in solar cell research today.
As well as perovskites’ simple synthesis, scientists are discovering that they also boast unique structural and electronic properties. Hundreds of papers have followed, and efficiencies have leapt forward, with research devices now challenging commercial solar cells. Though photovoltaic technologies are notoriously susceptible to hype, few have attracted so much attention and optimism. But with technical and commercial hurdles yet to clear, will perovskites satisfy these expectations?