Recently, a collaborative research effort involving Associate Professor Yang Bai of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology, Professor Haining Chen from Beihang University, and Professor Shihe Yang of Peking University, has culminated in the publication of a groundbreaking paper in Nature Photonics. Titled "Vapour-assisted surface treatment for highly stable fully printed carbon-electrode perovskite solar modules," this study tackles the stability issues that have long plagued perovskite solar cell modules in large-scale applications. The researchers have proposed a scalable vapor-assisted surface treatment approach to address these challenges.

Leveraging the unique properties of fluorobenzenethiol molecules—characterized by their low molecular weight and boiling point—the research team successfully achieved uniform passivation across large-area perovskite films. This innovation not only effectively minimizes non-radiative recombination losses but also significantly enhances charge transport and extraction. The fully printed carbon-electrode perovskite solar module, boasting an active area of approximately 50 cm², demonstrated remarkable performance. It achieved a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 20.41%, with third-party certified efficiency reaching an impressive 19.26%—the highest recorded for carbon-based perovskite modules to date.

In terms of stability, the unencapsulated module showcased exceptional durability. After undergoing 4,800 hours of aging at 85°C in a nitrogen-rich environment, it retained 85% of its initial efficiency. Moreover, it exhibited virtually no performance degradation after 1,020 hours of continuous operation under one sun illumination. Additionally, after 2,280 hours of aging in an 85°C/85% relative humidity environment, the module maintained 84% of its efficiency. This research paves a feasible technical route for the commercial deployment of perovskite solar modules, marking a significant step forward in the field.