Feasibility of Recycled Silver from Spent Si Solar Cells as a Conductive Additive for Carbon Electrodes in Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract Photovoltaics have emerged as a promising renewable energy source to address increasing energy demands and environmental challenges. However, the growing volume of end-of-life photovoltaic modules has raised significant concerns as these modules contain valuable materials that may pose environmental risks. In this work, an environmentally friendly approach was developed to recover silver (Ag) from silicon solar cells using a leaching system consisting of 0.5 M citric acid and H2O2 for 4 h. The recovered Ag was subsequently converted into Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) via a precipitation–reduction process under green synthesis conditions. The as-prepared Ag NPs were spray-coated onto a commercial carbon electrode (Jelcon CH-8) to enhance the electrical conductivity of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The influence of the Ag concentration on device performance was systematically investigated, with an optimal concentration of 1 mg mL–1 identified. PSCs incorporating Ag-coated carbon electrodes achieved a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.78%, compared to 15.37% for the carbon electrode devices. Furthermore, the devices exhibited good operational stability, retaining approximately 90% of their initial performance after 2000 h when measured outside the glovebox at 20–25 °C under a relative humidity of 50–60%. Overall, this study demonstrates a sustainable strategy for recovering Ag from end-of-life photovoltaic modules and reutilizing it to enhance the performance of perovskite solar cells.