Adolphe Merkle Institute researchers and colleagues have developed a novel light-responsive material that enhances the performance and longevity of perovskite solar cells. This innovation addresses a major hurdle in perovskite technology: rapid degradation under real-world conditions.

The key breakthrough is a photochromic compound called SINO, which changes its properties when exposed to light. When integrated into perovskite solar cells, SINO acts as a dynamic protective layer that adapts to changing conditions during operation. This material transforms between two states in response to sunlight, helping to suppress ion migration within the perovskite and facilitate charge extraction.

In laboratory tests, doctoral student Weifan Luo, former AMI Prof. Jovana Milic, and colleagues showed that solar cells with the SINO layer benefited from improved efficiency and significantly better stability compared to conventional perovskite cells. Under simulated day-night cycles, SINO-treated cells retained over 90% of their performance after 800 hours, while untreated devices dropped to 80%.

This approach represents a shift from static protection methods to dynamic, adaptive interfaces in solar cell design. By mimicking biological systems that respond to environmental changes, this strategy could extend the lifespan of perovskite solar cells and potentially other electronic devices.

While still at the proof-of-concept stage, this research opens new possibilities for "smart" materials in solar technology. If further developed, such innovations could help perovskite solar cells overcome their stability limitations and realize their potential as a next-generation renewable energy solution. The research results are published in the leading journal Advanced Materials.

Reference: Luo, W.; Castán, J. M. A.; Mirani, D.; Riquelme, A. J.; Sachan, A. K.; Kurman, O.; Kim, S.; Faini, F.; Zimmermann, P.; Hinderhofer, A.; Patel, Y.; Frei, A. T.; Moser, J.-E.; Ramirez, D.; Schreiber, F.; Maldivi, P.; Seo, J.-Y.; Tress, W.; Grancini, G.; Demadrille, R.; Milić, J. V. Photochromic Control in Hybrid Perovskite Photovoltaics. Adv. Mater. 2025, 2420143. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202420143.