New Review Highlights All-Inorganic Tin-Containing Perovskite Solar Cells as a Leading Eco-Friendly Photovoltaic Technology

Recently, Zhao Yixin and Chen Hao from the Future Photovoltaic Research Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Pu Yuan Future Technology Institute published a comprehensive review titled “All-Inorganic Tin-Containing Perovskite Solar Cells: An Emerging Eco-Friendly Photovoltaic Technology” in the prestigious materials science journal Advanced Materials. The co-first authors of the paper are Zhang Xiang, a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Photovoltaic Research Center, and Zhang Dan, a postdoctoral researcher at the Carbon Neutrality Institute of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Professors Zhao Yixin and Chen Hao are the corresponding authors, while Wang Zhawei, a researcher at the same institute, is also a co-author. This review was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation and the startup fund from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

All-inorganic tin-containing perovskites have emerged as promising photovoltaic materials for single-junction and tandem solar cells due to their low toxicity, optimal narrow bandgap, and excellent thermal stability. Since their initial exploration in 2012, significant progress has been made in this field, with the highest efficiencies for single-junction and tandem devices exceeding 17% and 22%, respectively. However, inherent challenges such as the oxidation sensitivity of Sn²⁺ and uncontrolled crystallization dynamics have hindered further development. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive understanding of the inherent degradation mechanisms of all-inorganic tin-containing perovskites and the formulation of effective mitigation strategies.

In light of this, the review systematically summarizes the research progress of all-inorganic tin-containing perovskite solar cells, focusing on the intrinsic properties and degradation pathways of pure tin-based and tin-lead mixed perovskites. It explores various strategies to enhance the efficiency and stability of tin-containing perovskite solar cells and outlines existing challenges and future prospects for optimizing the photovoltaic performance of eco-friendly perovskite solar cells.

The Future Photovoltaic Research Center at the Pu Yuan Future Technology Institute is dedicated to addressing key fundamental issues in perovskite photovoltaic research. The center aims to achieve high efficiency, high stability, and high reproducibility in perovskite solar cells, promoting their potential to become a widely applicable clean energy technology. The research is grounded in the fundamental scientific mechanisms of perovskite stability and reliability, utilizing cutting-edge characterization techniques, advanced simulation theories, artificial intelligence models, and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes to propose new ideas, methods, and techniques for achieving efficient and stable perovskite solar cells, facilitating breakthroughs across mechanisms, materials, and devices. The center warmly welcomes talented individuals from both domestic and international backgrounds to collaborate on innovative developments in future photovoltaic technologies.

Team Introduction:

Zhang Xiang is a postdoctoral researcher at the Future Photovoltaic Research Center of the Pu Yuan Future Technology Institute, under the supervision of Chen Hao. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Institute of Industrial Science at Wuhan University and has conducted postdoctoral research at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, focusing on the development of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells and tandem device applications. He has published over 20 papers in renowned journals such as Adv. Mater., Adv. Energy Mater., and Adv. Funct. Mater., and holds 2 authorized Chinese invention patents.

Professor Zhao Yixin is the director of the Future Photovoltaic Research Center at the Pu Yuan Future Technology Institute. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2002 and 2005, respectively, and completed his Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University in 2010. He conducted postdoctoral research at Penn State University and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory from 2010 to 2013 before joining Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2013. He has received numerous accolades including the National Youth Talent Program, the Ministry of Education’s Ho Ying Dong Young Scholar Fund, and the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund. Professor Zhao has published over 200 papers in prestigious journals such as Science, Nat. Sustain, Sci. Adv, and Nat. Commun, with over 18,000 citations on Web of Science. He has been recognized as a highly cited researcher by Clarivate Analytics for six consecutive years since 2018 and serves as an associate editor for Journal of Energy Chemistry and as an editorial board member for several other journals.

Chen Hao is a tenure-track associate professor and doctoral supervisor at the Future Photovoltaic Research Center. He has been selected for the National Overseas High-Level Young Talents Program and the Shanghai Overseas High-Level Young Talents Program. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences & ShanghaiTech University under the supervision of Professor Ning Zhijun. After graduation, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto in Canada and Northwestern University in the United States, collaborating with fellow Edward Hartley Sargent. His research focuses on the development and application of efficient and stable single-junction and multi-junction perovskite photovoltaic devices, and he has set multiple world records for certified efficiency in perovskite photovoltaic devices. He has published numerous articles as first and corresponding author in prestigious journals such as Science, Nature, and Adv. Mater. and currently serves as a young editor for journals like InfoMat, eScience, and Materials Today Electronics, and as a reviewer for Nat. Energy and Nat. Rev. Mater..