NUS Scientists Develop Cutting-Edge Perovskite/Si Tandem Solar CellRevolutionary Triple-Junction Solar Cell Achieves Record Efficiency of 27.1%

A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a revolutionary perovskite/Si tandem solar cell with a certified world-record power conversion efficiency of 27.1% over a 1 sq cm area. This marks a significant milestone in the advancement of solar technology, as this is the most efficient triple-junction perovskite/Si tandem solar cell ever created.

To achieve this groundbreaking efficiency, the team engineered a new type of perovskite solar cell that integrates cyanate, a novel pseudohalide, into its structure. This not only stabilizes the perovskite, but also increases its energy range, resulting in higher efficiency. This breakthrough was published in Nature by Assistant Professor Hou Yi and his team from NUS College of Design and Engineering (CDE) and Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS).

Traditionally, solar cells are made up of multiple layers, each made of different photovoltaic materials that absorb solar energy within different ranges. However, this multi-junction structure often leads to energy loss and instability during operation. To address these issues, the NUS team successfully integrated cyanate into the perovskite structure, creating a cutting-edge triple-junction perovskite/Si tandem solar cell that outperforms other similar multi-junction solar cells.

Assistant Professor Hou Yi, a Presidential Young Professor at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering under CDE and a Group Leader at SERIS, led the team in this groundbreaking research. Through various analytical methods, Dr. Liu Shunchang, a Research Fellow in Asst Prof Hou's team, confirmed the successful integration of cyanate into the perovskite structure and fabricated the cyanate-integrated perovskite solar cell.

Further analysis of the new perovskite's atomic structure provided experimental evidence that incorporating cyanate helps stabilize its structure and form key interactions within the perovskite, making it a viable substitute for halides commonly used in perovskite-based solar cells. This resulted in a higher voltage of 1.422 volts compared to 1.357 volts for conventional perovskite solar cells, with a significant reduction in energy loss.

The team also tested the stability of the new perovskite solar cell by continuously operating it at maximum power for 300 hours under controlled conditions. After the test period, the solar cell remained stable and functioned at over 96% capacity.

Encouraged by the impressive performance of the cyanate-integrated perovskite solar cells, the team took their discovery to the next level by assembling a triple-junction perovskite/Si tandem solar cell. This involved stacking a perovskite solar cell and a silicon solar cell to create a dual-junction half-cell, providing the perfect base for the attachment of the cyanate-integrated perovskite solar cell. The final result was a certified world-record efficiency of 27.1% from an accredited independent photovoltaic calibration laboratory, despite the complexity of the triple-junction structure.

The theoretical efficiency of triple-junction perovskite/Si tandem solar cells exceeds 50%, presenting significant potential for further enhancements, especially in limited installation space. Moving forward, the NUS team aims to upscale this technology to larger modules without compromising efficiency and stability. They will also focus on innovations in perovskite interfaces and composition to further advance this technology.

Steven Russell
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