Perovskite solar cells have been making leaps and bounds in progress over the last several years. A relatively new material in the world of solar, it has come close to its silicon cell siblings in terms of efficiency in a shockingly short period of time while its price point has been reduced by 80%. It's been a rapid rise through the ranks, and the good news keeps on rolling: scientists have been able to solve one of perovskite's few snags, allowing it to become, yet again, even more efficient.

Perovskite's natural inclination for solar power has been described as an "enigma," and equally mysterious has been the material spiro-OMeTAD, a key part of using perovskite to extract energy from the sun's ray. spiro-OMeTAD plays a role in transferring the energy from the solar surface to the inner electrode, but it's not the best of transportation. Its efficiency has remained stagnant for almost 20 years—a lifetime in the world of solar cell research. But a new way to crystalize spiro-OMeTAD could change all that. Scientists have long considered possible alternatives to spiro-OMeTAD, but now new research from the National University of Singapore shows that it has still has plenty of unrealized potential.

The process involves growing spiro-OMeTAD as a crystal by placing it a series of solvents and antisolvents. The antisolvents prevent spiro-OMeTAD from dissolving as quickly as it normally does, and being stuck in a moment of saturation without dissolution leads to crystallization. And in that form, says team leader Osman Bakr, spiro-OMeTAD has provided "astonishing" results. Understanding that crystal structure allows scientists create a pathway specifically suited to the material. In their paper, Bakr and his team call working towards alternatives to spiro-OMeTAD." They've created a clear path forward for better perovskite cells.

With all the advantages that solar energy provides, its main drawback is blunt and non-negotiable: you can only use them at night. That makes the efficiency of solar cells an utmost priority for their integration into society, and the highest efficiency any cells have currently hover int the mid-twenties, percentage-wise. By unravelling "a key mystery that has confounded the photovoltaic community for the last 17 years," to quote Bakr, perovskite solar cells just took a big step towards challenging silicon for solar supremacy. One company, Oxford Photovoltaics, is planning on bringing perovskite cells the market by 2017.

Source: Phys

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