Lattice stabilization and strain homogenization in Sn-Pb bottom subcells enable stable all-perovskite tandems solar cells

All-perovskite tandem solar cells (PTSCs) offer a promising approach to surpass the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit, driven by efficiently reducing thermalization and transmission losses. However, the efficiency and stability of the narrow-bandgap (NBG) subcells, which are essential for PTSC performance, remain severely constrained by challenges such as lattice instability, strain accumulation and halide migration under illumination. This study introduces a rigid sulfonate-based molecule, sodium naphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (NTS), into tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskites, where it strengthens the Sn-I bond through Sn-trisulfonate coordination and reduces light-induced dynamic lattice distortions via the rigid NTS backbone. These molecular interactions alleviate strain heterogeneity within the lattice and homogenize the Sn-Pb compositional gradient, thereby enhancing the structural integrity and long-term stability of Sn-Pb perovskites under operational conditions. As a result, Sn-Pb single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.2%. When integrated into a tandem configuration, the device attains an impressive PCE of 29.6% (certified PCE of 29.2%, one of the highest certified efficiencies to date), with 93.1% of the initial efficiency retained after 700 h of continuous operation. By stabilizing the lattice structure, this work lays a solid foundation for achieving both high efficiency and long-term durability in next-generation perovskite photovoltaics.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-08-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62661-6
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Perovskite Materials and Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.92

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Lattice stabilization and strain homogenization in Sn-Pb bottom subcells enable stable all-perovskite tandems solar cells

Yuanyuan Meng, Ziyi Ge, Boxin Jiao, Zhenhua Song et al.
4 citations
Nature Communications
Perovskite Materials and Applications
2.92
article

Lattice stabilization and strain homogenization in Sn-Pb bottom subcells enable stable all-perovskite tandems solar cells

Yuanyuan Meng, Ziyi Ge, Boxin Jiao, Zhenhua Song, Kexuan Sun, Ruijia Tian, Jiangwei Gao, Yang Bai, Chang Liu, Xiaoyi Lü, Haibin Pan, Yaohua Wang, Shujing Zhou, Ming Yang, Jingnan Wang
article en
4 citations

Abstract

All-perovskite tandem solar cells (PTSCs) offer a promising approach to surpass the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit, driven by efficiently reducing thermalization and transmission losses. However, the efficiency and stability of the narrow-bandgap (NBG) subcells, which are essential for PTSC performance, remain severely constrained by challenges such as lattice instability, strain accumulation and halide migration under illumination. This study introduces a rigid sulfonate-based molecule, sodium naphthalene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (NTS), into tin-lead (Sn-Pb) perovskites, where it strengthens the Sn-I bond through Sn-trisulfonate coordination and reduces light-induced dynamic lattice distortions via the rigid NTS backbone. These molecular interactions alleviate strain heterogeneity within the lattice and homogenize the Sn-Pb compositional gradient, thereby enhancing the structural integrity and long-term stability of Sn-Pb perovskites under operational conditions. As a result, Sn-Pb single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.2%. When integrated into a tandem configuration, the device attains an impressive PCE of 29.6% (certified PCE of 29.2%, one of the highest certified efficiencies to date), with 93.1% of the initial efficiency retained after 700 h of continuous operation. By stabilizing the lattice structure, this work lays a solid foundation for achieving both high efficiency and long-term durability in next-generation perovskite photovoltaics.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology (CN), Tsinghua University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Perovskite Materials and Applications
2.92
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.