Perovskite Single‐Crystal Solar Cells: Advances and Challenges

Abstract

In just over a decade, the power conversion efficiency of metal‐halide perovskite solar cells has increased from 3.9% to 25.5%, suggesting this technology might be ready for large‐scale exploitation in industrial applications. Photovoltaic devices based on perovskite single crystals are emerging as a viable alternative to polycrystalline materials. Perovskite single crystals indeed possess lower trap state densities, higher carrier mobilities, and longer diffusion lengths, and potentially can achieve higher performance with respect to those fabricated with polycrystalline films, although their integration in a complete device needs particular attention and the use of specifically tailored growth techniques. In this review, recent advances on single‐crystal halide perovskites are reported. First, crystalline structure and fundamental properties of 3D perovskites are discussed, including the emerging mixed‐anion cation perovskites, and then the most popular growth methods with a focus on techniques that enable the implementation in photovoltaic devices are presented. Architectures and materials used to produce lateral and vertical solar cells are further introduced and recent improvements in device design and fabrication are summarized. Finally, the strategies used to solve the still open challenge on these materials regarding stability under environmental conditions are critically discussed and the view on the opportunities offered by halide perovskites is reflected.

Recent progress in perovskite solar cells: material science

“…In this structure, the single crystals need to be ar-ranged in a stacked manner with different charge transport layers as well as transparent electrodes to achieve the best device performance. Among them, the most commonly used transparent substrates are ITO-or FTO-coated glass, which undoubtedly increase the device preparation cost [100].…”

Light‐Enabled Access to Oxidative Polymerization: A Short Perspective on Bioinspired Oxidative Photopolymerization

“…[ 12 ] In addition to small molecules that respond to light, semiconducting materials pave the way for photoredox chemistry. [ 13 ] Many appealing applications such as photovoltaic devices to generate energy, [ 14 ] photocatalytic reactions to conduct organic synthesis [ 15 ] and CO 2 reduction, [ 16 ] and solar hydrogen fuel production via water splitting [ 17 ] can be accessed, just to name a few. Synthetic polymer chemistry follows a similar trend, there is an urgent need for light‐induced scalable polymer synthesis pathways.…”

Optical Absorption on Electron Quantum-Confined States of Perovskite Quantum Dots

“…These electron states are intensively used in devices for controlling electron and exciton transport processes, photon storage, transitions at the heterointerface of an exciton transistor, photoconversion, and photoluminescence in perovskite nanostructured materials [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Over the past decade, in metal-halide perovskite solar cells, a significant increase in energy conversion efficiency from 3.9% to 25.5% was observed [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. This is of particular interest, as perovskite hybrid-chemical solar cells have grown recently into the promising candidate for wide commercial applications in photovoltaics [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…Over the past decade, in metal-halide perovskite solar cells, a significant increase in energy conversion efficiency from 3.9% to 25.5% was observed [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. This is of particular interest, as perovskite hybrid-chemical solar cells have grown recently into the promising candidate for wide commercial applications in photovoltaics [ 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”

“…Photovoltaic devices based on perovskite single crystals are emerging as a viable alternative to polycrystalline materials. Perovskite single crystals indeed possess lower trap state densities, higher carrier mobilities, longer diffusion lengths, and, potentially, can achieve higher performance with respect to those fabricated with polycrystalline films, although their integration in a complete device needs particular attention, as does the use of specifically tailored growth techniques [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. In [ 18 ], the dependence of the photoconductivity of colloidal PbS/MA quantum dots in nanosized gaps between gold electrodes on light intensity was experimentally discovered.…”