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Perovskite

Breakthrough in Perovskite Solar Cells: CsI Treatment Boosts Efficiency and Moisture Resistance

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers have made a significant discovery in the field of perovskite solar cells, demonstrating a novel method to upgrade their power conversion efficiency and moisture resistance. By blending cesium iodide (CsI) into the carbon electrode, the team was able to improve the efficiency of the devices by 11% and extend their lifespan by 130 hours. The findings, published in the Applied Physics Letters, have significant implications for the development of more efficient and durable solar cells.

Key Takeaways:

  • The CsI treatment triggers secondary growth of the perovskite layer, leading to improved crystallization and reduced water uptake.
  • The CsI treatment also enhances the hydrophobicity of the carbon electrode, reducing the risk of moisture damage.
  • The optimized perovskite solar cells with CsI treatment show a power conversion efficiency of 19.89% and a T80 lifetime of approximately 209 hours.
  • The Li+ and KI treatments also show improved performance, but at lower levels, with Li+ exhibiting a 'slow-release effect' on water molecules from open air.
  • The researchers attribute the improved performance to the improved crystallization and molar Gibbs free energy of hydration (Δ(hyd)G*) for the alkaline-metal ions.
  • The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) funded this research, and the School of Physics is credited with discovering the CsI treatment.

Statistics:

  • Power conversion efficiency increased by 11% from 17.22% to 19.16% (on average, optimized to 19.89%) for CsI-treated devices.
  • T80 lifetime (time for efficiency dropping to 80% of the initial value) extended by approximately 130 hours to 209 hours for CsI-treated devices.
  • CsI treatment comes out with the fasted rising rate of 11%, compared to LiI, KI, and control cases, respectively.
  • Moisture stability is estimated to be improved with CsI treatment.

Sources:

  • Simultaneously Upgrading the Power Conversion Efficiency and the Moisture Resistance of Perovskite Solar Cells By Blending Csi Into Carbon-electrode. Applied Physics Letters, 2025;127(12).
  • NewsRx. New Applied Physics Findings from School of Physics Reported (Simultaneously Upgrading the Power Conversion Efficiency and the Moisture Resistance of Perovskite Solar Cells By Blending Csi Into Carbon-electrode). Journal of Physics Research. October 21, 2025; p 260.

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