As reliable sources of clean energy become increasingly necessary in modern society, research into photovoltaics as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels has accelerated considerably. Perovskite-based solar cells hold particular promise as a cheaper, easier-to-manufacture alternative to traditional silicon-based devices. In this review paper, perovskites are presented as a class of materials while their common processing methods are analyzed in the context of advancing photovoltaic manufacturing techniques. Their advantages over traditional silicon-based photovoltaics are discussed, and these advantages are contrasted with the current issues facing the wide-scale implementation of the materials in modern devices, particularly, in regards to their chemical stability and environmental/health concerns. Finally, several potential avenues of improvement are offered, including changes to the architecture of the devices and the addition of small-molecule dopants.

climate change, renewables, solar energy, photovoltaics, perovskites, silicon-based photovoltaics, lead-halide perovskites, power conversion efficiency, solar energy efficiency, materials processing, device fabrication, roll-to-roll coating, spin coating, solvent processing, blade coating, slot-die coating, spray coating, inkjet printing, printable electronics, environmental concerns with renewables, materials process improvements.

Received: July 31, 2023; Accepted: September 9, 2023; Published: October 27, 2023

How to cite this article: Andrew Setley and C. P. Wong, Addressing the drawbacks of perovskite photovoltaics to improve solar energy technologies: a review, International Journal of Materials Engineering and Technology 22(2) (2023), 97-121. http://dx.doi.org/10.17654/0975044423007

This Open Access Article is Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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