Perovskite solar panels primarily use metal-halide perovskite materials that follow the general ABX3 crystal structure, where A and B are cations and X is an anion. The most common and studied perovskite absorber materials include:
- Methylammonium lead halides (CH3NH3PbX3, where X = iodide, bromide, or chloride)
- Formamidinium lead halides (H2NCHNH2PbX3)
- All-inorganic cesium lead halides
- Tin-based perovskites such as methylammonium tin iodide (CH3NH3SnI3), though they have lower efficiency than lead-based ones.
Main Materials
- Lead (Pb): A central metal cation in many perovskite solar absorbers, combined with halogens like iodine, bromine, or chlorine.
- Organic cations: Methylammonium (CH3NH3+) or formamidinium (H2NCHNH2+) serve as the A-site cation in the perovskite crystal structure.
- Halides (Iodide, Bromide, Chloride): Act as the anion (X in ABX3) in the perovskite structure.
- Electron and hole transport layers: Materials such as TiO2 (electron transport) and Spiro-OMeTAD or PEDOT:PSS (hole transport) assist in charge separation and transport within the solar cell.
Environmental Impacts
- Lead toxicity: The use of lead raises significant environmental and health concerns due to its toxicity and potential for leakage during manufacturing, usage, or disposal. Lead exposure can cause serious neurological and health problems in humans and wildlife.
- Potential alternatives: Tin-based perovskites are explored to reduce toxicity but currently have lower efficiencies and stability issues, limiting their commercial use.
- Manufacturing impacts: Production processes often involve solvents and chemicals which, if not managed properly, can cause environmental pollution.
- Recycling challenges: End-of-life recycling and safe disposal are critical to prevent lead contamination in the environment.
- Energy and resource efficiency: On the positive side, perovskite solar cells typically require less energy and material to produce compared to traditional silicon solar cells, potentially reducing their environmental footprint.
In summary, perovskite solar panels use hybrid organic-inorganic lead or tin halide compounds as their active materials, with lead being the dominant and efficient choice but posing significant environmental risks due to toxicity. There are ongoing efforts to balance performance with environmental safety through alternative materials and improved recycling methods.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-main-materials-used-in-perovskite-solar-panels-and-their-environmental-impacts/
