ACAP-ANU Perovskite team deliver record 26.29% efficiency AND excellent stability in single junction PSC with 'calm' interface
- alisonpotter2
- 16 hours ago
- 3 min read
ACAP supported researchers at ANU have achieved a major advance in both the efficiency and stability of n-i-p single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSC), one of the most commercially promising architectures in next-generation, low-cost solar technologies.
The ANU team’s exceptional device reached a certified 26.29% efficiency – the highest reported for n-i-p perovskites using SnO₂ – and showed strong stability, with T₈₀ > 500 hours under continuous illumination and 94% of initial performance retained after more than 10,000 hours in dry air.
Single-junction PSCs have just one active perovskite absorber layer tuned to capture a broad portion the solar spectrum. In comparison to multijunction/tandem devices, they combine simplicity, high efficiency, lower cost, faster manufacturability, and cleaner scientific optimisation, while providing foundational advances that feed directly into tandem solar technologies.
Single junction perovskites now exceed 26% efficiency, but champion devices often degrade quickly. Microscopic chemical defects and mobile ions that accumulate at key internal interfaces create electrical ‘leakage points’ that reduce efficiency and accelerate ageing.
In the study[1], the researchers (Dr The Duong, Dr Keqing Huang, Dr Heping Shen and Professor Klaus Weber) tackled one of the most unstable regions in the device: the interface between the perovskite absorber and the SnO₂ electron-transport layer.
Lead researcher Dr Duong explains, “A solar cell’s lifetime is often determined by a single weak interface. By strengthening that junction, we improved efficiency and stability in one step.”
Their simple solution
The innovation was simple – and multifunctional. An aluminium chloride (AlCl₃) surface treatment was applied to SnO₂ before perovskite deposition. This step:
removed potassium ions and hydroxyl groups that contribute to chemical instability
naturally converted into an ultra-thin, stabilising Al₂O₃ layer during processing
passivated defects and improved energy-level alignment between layers.
Their novel interface engineering dramatically reduced recombination losses – unlocking the record efficiency – and hindered ion migration, boosting operational stability.
“The AlCl₃ treatment works like a deep clean and a protective coat in one,” said first author Dr Keqing Huang. “It creates a much calmer interface, which is exactly what perovskites need to perform well over time.”
Putting the stability result in context
T₈₀ is the time it takes for a device to fall to 80% of its initial performance under defined operational stress conditions. Silicon modules have T₈₀ lifetimes measured in years, not hours, but for lab-scale perovskite cells in 2025, achieving T₈₀ above 500 hours shows unusually strong stability, signalling that degradation pathways at the interfaces have been significantly suppressed.
This, combined with 94% efficiency retention after more than 10,000 hours in dry air demonstrates a level of robustness that very few high-efficiency SnO₂-based n–i–p perovskites have shown.
“Improving stability without compromising efficiency is the core challenge,” said lead researcher Dr The Duong. “This work shows we can advance both, together.”
Further work is needed to demonstrate long-term durability under real-world outdoor conditions, but this breakthrough illustrates the globally significant progress being made by ACAP researchers in moving perovskite technologies towards commercial viability.
Reference
[1] K. Huang, W. Wang, A. D. Bui, et al. “ Multifunctional SnO2/Perovskite Interface Engineering for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.” Adv. Sci. (2025): e14595. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202514595
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