image: Tin and lead perovskite solar cells have proven to have optical properties ideal for achieving maximum efficiency. However, their large-scale use has been hindered by stability issues on their surfaces, such as oxidation, defects that make them vulnerable, or chemical mismatches in the charge transport layers. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are ordered structures of molecules that spontaneously form on solid surfaces through specific chemical interactions. SAMs could serve as alternative transport layers for these types of solar cells, addressing the surface-related issues. The goal of Dr. Luis Lanzetta's SAMper project is to design chemically intelligent devices with perovskite healing capabilities and the ability to neutralize oxidants, to create ultra-stable and highly efficient cells. Dr. Luis Lanzetta is a specialist in materials chemistry and the synthesis and characterization of tin or tin-lead perovskites. His expertise focuses on the degradation mechanisms and stabilization of halide perovskite solar cells, aiming to achieve more efficient and stable technologies. He completed his PhD in Chemistry at Imperial College London (UK) and has been a postdoctoral researcher at KAUST (Saudi Arabia). For the study, Dr. Luis Lanzetta will join the Advanced Semiconductors Group at the Institute of Advanced Materials of the Universitat Jaume I, directed by Professor Iván Mora Seró. This group has a strong track record in the development and advanced characterization of perovskite solar cells, focusing on identifying the physical processes that govern their operation and developing additives to improve their performance and stability. The final phase of the project, which involves outdoor testing over extended periods, will take place at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in collaboration with Dr. Sánchez-Alonso and under the supervision of Professor Sivula. Their environmental conditions, with an altitude of more than 1,800 meters, will provide high ultraviolet irradiance and variable temperatures to test the operational stability and efficiency of the cells under harsh environmental conditions.
Credit: Universitat Jaume I of Castellón
Tin and lead perovskite solar cells have proven to have optical properties ideal for achieving maximum efficiency. However, their large-scale use has been hindered by stability issues on their surfaces, such as oxidation, defects that make them vulnerable, or chemical mismatches in the charge transport layers.
Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are ordered structures of molecules that spontaneously form on solid surfaces through specific chemical interactions. SAMs could serve as alternative transport layers for these types of solar cells, addressing the surface-related issues. The goal of Dr. Luis Lanzetta's SAMper project is to design chemically intelligent devices with perovskite healing capabilities and the ability to neutralize oxidants, to create ultra-stable and highly efficient cells.
In the opinion of this researcher, "The revolutionary healing and protection functionality of the new SAMs is transferable to all halide perovskites and is expected to have a significant impact on multiple perovskite applications (PV, LEDs, transistors, photodetectors). These fields are of key scientific importance for enabling highly efficient, durable, and low-cost optoelectronics", he comments.
The project, which runs over 24 months, has three main objectives: to establish design rules for optimizing tin and lead perovskite solar cells through molecular adjustment of self-assemblies; to design architectures of these cells with perovskite restoration properties using functional carbazole-based self-assemblies; and to demonstrate their high efficiency and stability under real-world conditions.
For the study, Dr. Luis Lanzetta will join the Advanced Semiconductors Group at the Institute of Advanced Materials of the Universitat Jaume I, directed by Professor Iván Mora Seró. This group has a strong track record in the development and advanced characterization of perovskite solar cells, focusing on identifying the physical processes that govern their operation and developing additives to improve their performance and stability.
The final phase of the project, which involves outdoor testing over extended periods, will take place at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in collaboration with Dr. Sánchez-Alonso and under the supervision of Professor Sivula. Their environmental conditions, with an altitude of more than 1,800 meters, will provide high ultraviolet irradiance and variable temperatures to test the operational stability and efficiency of the cells under harsh environmental conditions.
Dr. Luis Lanzetta is a specialist in materials chemistry and the synthesis and characterization of tin or tin-lead perovskites. His expertise focuses on the degradation mechanisms and stabilization of halide perovskite solar cells, aiming to achieve more efficient and stable technologies. He completed his PhD in Chemistry at Imperial College London (UK) and has been a postdoctoral researcher at KAUST (Saudi Arabia).
The project "Boosting the efficiency and stability of tin and lead perovskite photovoltaic energy with a chemically intelligent device" has been funded by the European Union with a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship under Horizon TMA. These grants aim to foster the creative and innovative potential of doctoral research staff wishing to acquire new skills through advanced training, international mobility and project development. The grant agreement is HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01-101153098.