As researchers around the world race to develop lead-free perovskite solar cells, scientists at the University of Manchester have developed a perovskite solar cell based on a new technology to prevent potential lead leaks.
The scientists embedded the cells in a "fail-safe" system that traps lead ions. The device is made of hydroxyapatite, a naturally occurring form of the calcium apatite mineral that is similar to the hard tissue of the human body in terms of shape and composition. For example, biologically inspired minerals are a major component of human bones.
The solar cell has a power conversion efficiency of 20.98% and is made from a mesoporous scaffold based on a mixture of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, which is mixed with titanium oxide nanoparticles. These scaffolds are designed to limit the concentration of lead released from ruptured perovskite solar cells in water through ion chelation.
Researcher Brian Saunders said: "We started this study because we were committed to eliminating environmental risks." "This commitment improves the sustainability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells."
Adding hydroxyapatite increased cell efficiency by about 3 percent, the researchers claim. They describe the cell in "Biologically inspired Scaffolded Isolation of Lead ions in physically damaged high-efficiency perovskite solar Cells," which was recently published in Chemical Communications.
A similar technology was developed by scientists at the DEPARTMENT of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) last year. They used a lead-absorbing material to coat the front and back of the perovskite-type stacks of solar cells. When cells were damaged, the membranes captured 96 percent of lead leaks, the researchers claim.
Purdue University scientists also unveiled new organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials. They say the material could improve the lead-free thermal stability of perovskite batteries. In addition, researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea recently claimed to have discovered a tin-based perovskite that could open up the possibility of using lead-free perovskite in solar cells. (Polaris Solar Pv Grid)