MIUR PRIN 2013-2015

< Reseach Project

MIUR-PRIN  2013-2015: Programmi di Ricerca scientifica di rilevante Interesse Nazionale.

PERovskite-based Solar Cells: towards high Efficiency and lOng-term stability (PERSEO).

Very few historical moments have welcomed the introduction of simple, but very original new ideas, promoting the evolutionof photovoltaic (PV) research towards low cost and highly efficient solutions, such as the use of mesostructured TiO2 toimprove light harvesting in sensitized solar cells [Nature 1991, 353, 737] and the donor/acceptor concept in polymer PVs.[Science 1995, 270, 1789] The 2012 witnessed one of the key leaps forward, with the introduction of self-assembling hybridhalide perovskites as active components of solution-processable solid-state solar cells. Hybrid perovskite materials hold thepromise of potential resolution to some of the most important limitations of third generation PV. [Nature 2012, 485, 486;Science 2012, 338, 643; Nature, 2013, 499, 316]Hybrid perovskites are crystalline solids consisting of an inorganic metal halide framework with small organic molecules in itsvoids, combining organic easy processability with inorganic high charge conductivity. They become the ultimate material fornext generation PV devices due to their panchromatic light absorption and efficient ambipolar charge transport. Providingthose characteristics, a plethora of device layouts have been explored and outstanding power conversion efficiencies havebeen reached, as over 20% is being now measured in labs [Science, 2015, 348, 1243; Science, 2015, 350, 917; Prog.Photovoltaics: Res. Appl. 2015, 23, 805] and 21% has been recently certified.[http://www.nrel.gov/ncpv/images/efficiency_chart.jpg]. Despite the extraordinary progresses, the technology presents theintrinsic issues of newcomers. The main limitations interfering with perovskite solar cell (PSC) large-scale production arerelated to a critical material deposition/reproducibility as the film formation occurs throughout a complex self-assemblyprocess driven by weak interactions, which also results in poor stability of the material and of the device. [Nature Mater.2014, 13, 838] In addition, the most exploited, for PV applications, methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskitecontains lead, a potentially poisoning components that, ideally, has to be replaced without affecting device performances.PERSEO project aims to address these problematic through an ambitious, cutting-edge research program, which will have agreat impact on the scientific community by bringing the PSC technology to the final maturation stage suitable for anindustrialization process. The goal strongly relates in needing an intelligent mastering of material preparation, a profoundcomprehension of its physical-chemical properties and a detailed identification of scaling-up processes.The team comprises research units that are worldwide front runners of perovskite-based optoelectronic exploitation and suchproject represents the opportunity of bringing them together giving birth to an exceptional next generation solar conversionItalian hub.