Perovskite solar cells.University of Manchester
Newly designed perovskite solar cells are both powerful and rugged enough to survive the sun’s relentless heat.
Researchers at the University of Manchester, led by Professor Thomas Anthopoulos, have successfully stabilized perovskite solar cells, which could help move the low-cost technology into the global mass market.
For this, a new kind of molecular glue was created. It smoothes the perovskite surface and eliminates the tiny defects that previously caused energy loss and material degradation.
Interestingly, the ‘game-changer’ perovskite solar cells achieved a power conversion efficiency of 25.4% in the testing.
Solving solar stability issue
Silicon has dominated the solar market for decades. It is reliable but also heavy, rigid, and expensive to manufacture.
Perovskite offered a tempting alternative: it is thin, flexible, and potentially much cheaper. However, early versions of these cells were notorious for degrading in a matter of days.
This rapid degradation has remained the final roadblock preventing the technology from reaching the mass market.
Microscopic flaws also create electrical issues, leaking energy that is almost impossible to track with conventional tools.
“Current state-of-the-art perovskite materials are known to be unstable under heat or light, causing the cells to degrade faster,” noted Anthopoulos.
All these hidden defects choke the flow of electricity and cause the material to break down prematurely, stalling the move to real-world use.
The team enhanced the design using small-molecule amidinium ligands.
Functioning as a “molecular glue,” these specialized molecules create a protective seal across the perovskite surface.
This chemical bond directs the material to organize into highly stable, low-dimensional layers that serve as a structural shield on the conventional three-dimensional perovskite.
By removing microscopic defects and smoothing the surface, this coating ensures efficient energy flow while preventing the cell from disintegrating under intense heat.
Solar cells beat the heat
In testing, these stabilized cells achieved a 25.4 percent power conversion efficiency.
Beyond raw power, the technology proved its resilience, retaining over 95 per cent of its performance after 1,100 hours of continuous use.
Most notably, the cells remained stable at 85°C (185 degrees Fahrenheit), surviving extreme heat levels that would have typically caused previous versions of the material to fail.
“Perovskite solar cells are seen as a cheaper, lightweight, and flexible alternative to traditional silicon panels, but they have faced challenges with long-term stability,” Professor Anthopoulos added.
“The amidinium ligands we’ve developed, and the new knowledge gained, allow the controlled growth of high-quality, stable perovskite layers. This could overcome one of the last major hurdles facing perovskite solar cell technology and ensure it lasts long enough for large-scale deployment,” the author noted.
Further, this development enhances the potential of renewable energy by unlocking perovskite’s ability to be printed onto flexible surfaces, such as curved windows, lightweight camping gear, and even clothing fabrics.
The race to commercialize perovskite technology has accelerated rapidly in recent years.
For instance, researchers in China recently introduced a three-dimensional electrical imaging method in December 2025.
It enables direct observation of charge-carrier migration in perovskite films, providing a high-resolution map of internal electrical behavior. The imaging could further help researchers pinpoint and eliminate hidden internal defects, thereby enhancing overall material performance.
The new study was published in the journal Science on January 8.
The Blueprint
