Introduction

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are an innovative photovoltaic technology with efficiencies close to current traditional Silicon. However, perovskite-based devices have low stability in environmental conditions, particularly in high relative humidity (RH%) environments. The moisture cause the degradation of the perovskite and a several power conversion efficiency (PCE) losses. Our invention addresses the stability issue by introducing the highly hydrophobic material ZIF-8 into the device, which acts as a moisture barrier preventing perovskite degradation and increasing device lifespan.

Technical features

The device integrating ZIF-8 makes the surface of the encapsulating material hydrophobic. ZIF-8 is a porous material belonging to the family of MOFs (metal-organic frameworks) in which a zinc atom is coordinated by methyl-imidazole. The organic component makes the material highly hydrophobic, which can then be deposited on the polymer, increasing its contact angle and preventing both water and moisture permeation into the devices. The PCE of devices with ZIF-8 have more stable photovoltaic performance over time compared to devices with classical encapsulants.

Possible Applications

• Improvement of performance in stability of perovskite-based solar cells in academic and research and development environments;
• Improvement of performance in stability of perovskite-based solar panels in industrial applications.

Advantages

• Increased stability of perovskite solar cells over time while maintaining constant photovoltaic parameters and efficiency;
• Better performance of polymers with lower values of WVTR and OTR, making them potential candidates for encapsulating the final device;
• Easily and reproducibly synthesized and easily integration into the device using simple deposition methods.