Hybrid halide perovskites, a game changer for future solar energy?

Abstract Hybrid halide perovskites (HPs) are emerging as the most promising materials for near-future photovoltaics (PV) due to their unique optoelectronic properties, such as their low defect density and broad absorption, making them highly efficient photoactive materials. Meanwhile, their low cost and low embodied energy, together with their solution processability and the possibility to create solar cells on flexible substrates, make them among the potential winning concepts for the next-generation PV market. Large-scale marketing, however, requires solving current challenges, which mainly relate to device longevity and scaling up. In this article, we put in perspective the key aspects of HP materials and HP-solar cells, briefly discussing their historical path to high efficiency, reviewing the state of the art, presenting their main advantages over existing technologies, and the main challenges the research community needs to overcome. Recent achievements and hot areas today critical for market uptake will be presented. Graphical abstract