A simple industrial chemistry action that acts as a molecule “super bright”, helping Chinese researchers achieve record-breaking efficiency on large, printable solar panels. The innovation introduces one of the ultimate obstacles that prevents the transfer of perovskite solar technology from the laboratory to the global rooftop.
Scientists at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have developed a technology to significantly improve the production of perovskite solar cells using tetramethylammonium chloride (TMACL), an inexpensive industrial chemical. Their breakthroughs, published in Yuer Magazine, offer extraordinary performance in solar panels manufactured entirely through technologies compatible with mass production.
Tough problems with promising solar technology
Perovskite solar cells have tempted scientists for years, with the potential that potentially delivering efficient solar energy at a fraction of the cost of silicon manufacturing. However, the transition from laboratory-made samples to commercial-scale production has proven challenging.
Why? Think about building solar panels, such as building multi-layer sandwiches. In traditional manufacturing, the “components” tend to unevenly unite during application, creating tiny holes and defects at the boundaries of key layers. These microscopic defects greatly reduce efficiency and durability.
How does molecular glue work?
The research team led by Professor Dong Yang and Professor Shengzhong Liu found that adding TMACLs during the manufacturing process performs two key functions:
- It acts as a stabilizer to prevent nanoparticles from being aggregated together during the blade coating process
- It forms chemical bonds between layers, essentially “bonding” them at the molecular level
- It reduces interference between layers by smoothing the surface (32% reduction in roughness)
- It reduces interface defects by 40%, allowing for more efficient power
“Our research reduces barriers to large manufacturing industries and paves the way for commercial deployment of high-performance perovskite solar technology,” said Liu of the Dalian Institute.
Break records with blade coating
Making this discovery particularly important is that the researchers achieved the results using “blade coatings”, a manufacturing method that can be scattered on the screen using extruded ink. Unlike the spin coating technology commonly used in laboratories, blade coatings can be scaled for continuous assembly line production.
Using this approach, the team achieved 22.76% efficiency in the perovskite module with a pore size of 57.20cm² (approximately the size of a small tablet). This efficiency is independently certified in a 21.60% fashion – setting a new record for blade-coated perovskite modules.
How efficient is that? In the context, most commercial silicon solar panels have an efficiency of 18-22%, but require an energy-intensive manufacturing process with temperatures exceeding 1000°C.
Durability moves forward
Perhaps the most impressive thing is the improvement in durability. Perovskite solar cells have historically struggled with stability – rapidly degrading when exposed to moisture, heat or sunlight.
After 1,500 hours of operation under environmental conditions, the uninclusive equipment in this study retained 93.25% of its initial efficiency – significantly outperforming the conventional approach. This represents another critical step towards business viability.
Flexible solar energy is enhanced
The molecular glue method also shows impressive results with flexible solar cells – critical for applications such as vehicle integration, portable power and wearable electronics.
The technology achieves over 20% efficiency in flexible modules of the same size, and maintains 95.3% initial performance after 500 bending cycles. This combination of efficiency and mechanical durability opens new possibilities for solar energy integration into curved surfaces and mobile applications.
Will this end up creating a perovskite ad?
Perovskite solar technology has made significant progress over the past decade, with laboratory efficiency climbing from 19.3% in 2014 to 26.7% in 2024. But the leap from the laboratory to the market requires such manufacturing solutions.
What makes this approach particularly promising to be commercialized?
- The cost of TMACL is only one tenth of the traditional interface modification material
- It eliminates the need for additional processing steps
- Blade coating technology allows continuous production of instrument scale films
- Material utilization exceeds 90% (spin coating is about 10%)
- Energy consumption decreased by about 50%
This study represents another important step towards commercially viable perovskite solar technology. The combination of record efficiency, improved durability, compatibility and low-cost materials simultaneously solves several critical obstacles.
As solar adoption accelerates globally, innovations like this “molecular glue” bring us closer to a future where flexible solar panels can be made in a small part of today’s cost and environmental impact – potentially changing where we can generate clean energy.
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