Water-resistant perovskite solar cell!

Scientists from China and Australia have designed a water-resistant perovskite solar cell!

"The group dipped a perovskite film into an alkyl ammonium iodide isopropanol solution for 20 seconds, allowing the alkyl ammonium cations to functionalise the surface. The film was then rinsed with an isopropanol solution and dried. This modified surface prevents moisture from penetrating the film and reacting with lead cations to form degradation products, such as PbI₂, according to the researchers.
Stored in the dark for 21 days at 55% relative humidity, the modified perovskite is capable of retaining up to 90.4% of its original power conversion efficiency. The group claim the film can protect the cell at 90% relative humidity over 30 days before degrading."

"Michael Grätzel from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne believes the research will be of benefit to the community. ‘It’s a nice study and interesting results from a surface chemistry point of view,’ he tells Chemistry World. ‘With these tetra-alkyl ammonium ions, the moisture effect is strongly attenuated – that’s all good news.’ But he warns questions will still remain over its long-term stability in the field. ‘In the end, the cells have to be stable outdoors for many years and that is what is missing,’ comments Grätzel. ‘We need more information, [such as] how the cells would behave under long term light soaking in full sunlight."

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2016/01/ion-coating-perovskite-solar-cells-moisture-stable

The PSC development is on track and dyesol is at the forefront!

happyman