by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 11, 2025
Perovskite photo voltaic cells may be made extra sturdy, environment friendly, scalable and cheaper to fabricate by changing indium tin oxide with single-walled carbon nanotubes within the system structure, in accordance with analysis led by the College of Surrey. The group reviews that substituting indium tin oxide, a fragile and expensive photovoltaic materials, with single-walled carbon nanotubes might help versatile perovskite modules which might be extra reasonably priced and mechanically resilient.
In work led by Surrey’s Superior Know-how Institute with worldwide companions, researchers present {that a} easy sulfuric acid remedy will increase {the electrical} conductivity of carbon nanotube movies whereas protecting them sufficiently clear for daylight to succeed in the perovskite absorber beneath. The remedy additionally kinds a skinny nickel-based stabilising bridge layer, described as a NiSO4-NiOx interfacial layer, which improves {the electrical} connection between layers contained in the photo voltaic cell stack.
Professor Wei Zhang, lead creator from the College of Surrey’s Superior Know-how Institute, mentioned:
“Our course of resulted in a versatile perovskite photo voltaic cell freed from indium tin oxide that achieved greater than 20% energy conversion effectivity throughout massive areas, with small-scale gadgets reaching a report 24.5%. It is secure to say that our personal outcomes took us all unexpectedly.”
As a result of carbon nanotube movies may be produced utilizing roll-to-roll chemical vapour deposition, a course of already utilized in large-scale electronics manufacturing, the researchers state that this electrode technique is appropriate with industrial-scale manufacturing of versatile photo voltaic panels. They argue that this might ship high-performing versatile modules manufactured at volumes appropriate for business deployment.
Exams confirmed a marked enchancment in operational stability. After one month of simultaneous publicity to warmth, humidity and simulated daylight, the gadgets retained greater than 95% of their authentic efficiency, outperforming typical indium-tin-oxide-based designs below related situations.
Professor Ravi Silva, co-author of the examine and Director of the Superior Know-how Institute on the College of Surrey, mentioned:
“We are actually satisfied that carbon nanotube electrodes can do what indium tin oxide can not – mix excessive efficiency with mechanical energy and low price. These outcomes convey versatile, scalable photo voltaic know-how a giant step nearer to real-world purposes.”
The group additionally assessed mechanical sturdiness by repeatedly bending the modules. Conventional indium-tin-oxide-based gadgets misplaced practically three-quarters of their effectivity after 1,000 bends, whereas gadgets utilizing single-walled carbon nanotube electrodes misplaced solely round 5% and confirmed no seen cracking or delamination.
Researchers examined price and environmental impacts as properly. They estimate that producing single-walled carbon nanotube movies through roll-to-roll chemical vapour deposition is round six occasions cheaper than indium tin oxide sputtering, decreasing manufacturing prices by roughly $200 per sq. metre. Since indium is scarce and energy-intensive to extract, shifting to carbon-based electrodes might minimize each manufacturing prices and the general carbon footprint of photo voltaic module fabrication.
The group locations these leads to the broader context of perovskite know-how, a category of supplies typically highlighted in photo voltaic analysis for combining low-cost constituents with excessive light-harvesting effectivity. Perovskites may be processed at decrease temperatures than silicon and fashioned into mild, versatile gadgets that may bend, curve and be built-in onto a variety of surfaces. Nonetheless, long-term stability and fragile elements have slowed business adoption, and the brand new electrode design goals straight at these constraints.
Professor Wei Zhang added: “Our work tackles one of many greatest boundaries to commercialisation – price and scalability. Versatile, light-weight photo voltaic modules like these might energy all the things from moveable electronics to next-generation constructing supplies.”
Analysis Report:Integrating SWCNT to bridge the stability divide in scalable and manufacturable flexible perovskite solar modules
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University of Surrey
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