The most promising new encapsulation techniques for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) focus on providing superior protection against oxygen and moisture degradation, reducing optical losses, enhancing thermal and mechanical stability, and enabling cost-effective, scalable manufacturing. Recent advances include:
1. One-Step Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Encapsulation with Patterning
- A novel one-step encapsulant method developed by researchers at Aalto University uses PDMS to simultaneously encapsulate and pattern the front surface of perovskite solar cells.
- This method provides effective shielding from moisture and oxygen, which are primary causes of degradation in PSCs.
- The patterned encapsulant also acts as an anti-reflective layer, improving light management and thereby increasing power conversion efficiency by about 8% relative to control devices (from 14.1% to 15.6%).
- It is flexible and adaptable to both rigid and flexible cells and demonstrated excellent stability in outdoor field tests under harsh conditions (cold, wind) without degradation.
- This approach represents a versatile, scalable route to both enhance efficiency and durability of PSCs.
2. Semi-Solid Low-Molecular Weight Polyisobutylene (PIB) with 2D Inorganic Fillers
- Researchers have introduced a low-temperature, cost-effective lamination encapsulation based on semi-solid/liquid homopolymer PIB films.
- PIB encapsulants offer transparency, viscoelasticity, and good barrier properties.
- Adding two-dimensional (2D) inorganic nanofillers such as few-layer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) flakes significantly enhances adhesion, barrier performance, and thermal management.
- This encapsulation method mitigates thermal and thermomechanical stress during application, making it compatible with high-throughput manufacturing.
- It aims to achieve long-term stable PSC modules competitive with silicon-based photovoltaics, and it is compatible with a wide range of perovskite compositions.
3. UV Epoxy and Carbon-Based Electrode Encapsulation
- While simpler, UV-curable epoxy encapsulation combined with carbon-based electrodes has demonstrated stable device performance over time.
- This method is less advanced than newer technologies but still effective for basic encapsulation needs, providing a benchmark for stability.
Other Notable Advances and Considerations
- Encapsulation materials must block moisture effectively and endure high temperatures to maintain long-term stability.
- New research is exploring lead leakage prevention integrated with encapsulation for environmental safety, highlighting the multifunctional roles encapsulation can serve for commercialization.
Summary Table of Promising Techniques
| Encapsulation Technique | Key Features | Benefits | Development Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-step PDMS with surface patterning | Simultaneous encapsulation & light management | +8% efficiency, moisture & oxygen barrier, flexible, field-tested | Experimental/Scale-up |
| Semi-solid PIB + 2D h-BN nanofillers | Transparent, viscoelastic, thermomechanical stress reduction | Improved barrier & thermal properties, scalable manufacturing | Advanced research |
| UV epoxy + carbon electrodes | Simple, stable performance | Basic moisture barrier, stable device operation | Established baseline |
These encapsulation innovations represent the forefront of tackling PSC instability and efficiency losses due to environmental exposure, mechanical stresses, and optical inefficiencies. The one-step PDMS approach and the PIB-based semi-solid encapsulants stand out as particularly promising for commercial viability due to their combined performance enhancements and manufacturability.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-are-the-most-promising-new-encapsulation-techniques-for-perovskite-solar-cells/
