Wei Zhang is searching for new materials for perovskite solar cells
Wei Zhang, doctoral student in Applied Physical Chemistry at KTH, will on February 28 defend his thesis "Functional Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells", where he investigated alternative materials for improving perovskite solar cells.
"The dissertation is about studies on renewable energies and typically, solar energy," says Wei Zhang.
The perovskite solar cell (PSC) is one of the strongest tools to utilize solar energy because of its high power conversion efficiency and easy fabrication process. However, the lead that is normally used in the perovskite layer is considered harmful to the environment and to human health. Moreover, the low conductivity and hole mobility of the hole-transport material (HTM) Spiro-OMeTAD and the low overall device stability against humidity are all issues that might hinder the further development of PSC technology.
The aim of Wei Zhang's thesis was to develop environmentally friendly and low-cost functional materials in order to solve existing problems while at the same time revealing insights into carrier transport, molecular doping, and surface passivation.
“By achieving solar devices with lower cost, higher efficiency and stability, our results show strong potential of commercializing perovskite solar cells in future light harvest applications," says Wei Zhang.