Low-Temperature-Processed Brookite-Based TiO₂ Heterophase Junction Enhances Performance of Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

Boosting the efficiency of greener solar cells

31 July 2019

Perovskite-based solar cells layered with two mineral forms of titanium oxide (TiO₂) could lead to a greener alternative to silicon solar cells.

Solar cells are traditionally made from silicon but are challenging to manufacture, requiring expensive equipment and temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius. Perovskite solar cells made from metal halide-based materials are cheaper and easier to fabricate and offer a more environmentally friendly alternative.

Titanium oxide is often used as the electrodes in perovskite solar cells. Being transparent it allows light to reach the perovskite, but its low conductivity and structural defects significantly reduce the cell’s efficiency.

By layering two minerals forms of titanium oxide on top of each other in a fluorine-doped tin oxide perovskite solar cells, scientists in Japan, including researchers from Kanazawa University, increased its efficiency to almost 17%.

The work paves the way for printable, low-cost solar cells that are greener to produce.

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References

1. Nano Letters 19, 598−604 (2019). doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b04744