Recycling strategies for lead halide perovskite solar cells: Current approaches, challenges, and future directions

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have experienced rapid advancements in efficiency and stability, positioning them as viable candidates for commercial applications. However, as PSC technology nears commercialization, the development of standardized end-of-life (EOL) management protocols, particularly for recycling, becomes essential to mitigate environmental and health risks. PSCs contain valuable yet potentially hazardous components, such as lead, which, if not properly managed, can leach into the environment, posing significant risks to ecosystems and human health. With projections indicating a global deployment of up to 100,000 metric tons of lead from PSCs by 2030, effective recycling strategies are critical for preventing long-term contamination. This review discusses the challenges of recycling PSCs, including the complexity of their material compositions and diverse architectures. It also explores various recycling approaches, such as in-situ and layer-by-layer retrieval techniques, focusing on key components like TCOs, ETL/HTL layers, and lead. As PSC technology evolves, recycling strategies must adapt to these innovations. In the final section, the review emphasizes the limitations and challenges faced by recent PSC recycling technologies, and in conclusion, this review provides insights into the future outlook of perovskite solar cell (PSC) recycling, taking into account the anticipated advancements in materials and fabrication technologies.