A new polymer derived from biomass can effectively replace fossil-based thiophene compounds in the production of high-efficiency, stable perovskite solar cells.
Goodbye Petroleum, Hello Biomass Waste
Hybrid perovskite solar cells just became even more sustainable—without sacrificing performance. In fact, they now gain an additional advantage: improved stability.
This breakthrough comes from scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, who have developed a simplified fabrication method that directly integrates a biomass-derived precursor. The process eliminates the need for conventional thiophene-based polymers, which are currently derived from petroleum and coal.
What Is Thiophene and Why Is It Used in Solar Cells?
For those familiar with organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells, the use of thiophene is well known. Thiophene-based polymers play multiple roles in photovoltaic production, primarily in enhancing charge transport. Conductive polymers like PEDOT:PSS and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)—both thiophene-based—are commonly used as hole transport layers or interface modifiers in perovskite solar technology.
Beyond conductivity, thiophene also improves the chemical and photochemical stability of perovskite materials, shielding them from moisture, oxygen, and UV radiation. Additionally, thiophene-based materials enhance the morphology of the perovskite layer, promoting the growth of larger grains, better interconnections, and fewer defects.
Moreover, some thiophene-derived polymers can be functionalized with specific chemical groups to further enhance the active layer’s properties.
However, thiophene synthesis relies heavily on petroleum, raising sustainability concerns and posing scalability challenges for large-scale solar cell production.
Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells with PBDF-DFC
To make hybrid perovskite solar cells more sustainable, NTU researchers have introduced a biomass-based polymer derived from agricultural waste. The new polymer, called PBDF-DFC, is a furan-based conjugated polymer with a key advantage: it has high solubility in perovskite precursor solvents, allowing for direct integration into the base solution.
This innovation significantly simplifies the manufacturing process, reducing the number of steps and potentially lowering production costs.
But the benefits go beyond just production efficiency. In experimental tests, perovskite solar cells modified with PBDF-DFC achieved a conversion efficiency of 21.39%, marking a 7.8% improvement over the 19.84% efficiency of control units. Additionally, these devices demonstrated enhanced stability under various environmental stress conditions, retaining 90% of their initial efficiency after more than 1,100 hours, compared to just 52% for the control devices.
This research, titled “Direct Integration of Biomass‐Derived Furan Polymers for Enhanced Stability and Efficiency in Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells,” was published in Advanced Functional Materials.
