Gao Feng's team from Linköping University published a research paper titled "Aqueous-based recycling of perovskite photovoltaics" in the journal Nature. Xun Xiao is the first author, and Gao Feng & You Fengqi are co-corresponding authors.
Key Highlights: This paper proposes a low-cost, green solvent-based, holistic recycling strategy for recovering all valuable components from discarded perovskite photovoltaic (PV) modules. This strategy introduces three low-cost additives (sodium acetate, sodium iodide, and phosphorous acid) to develop a water-based perovskite recycling method, achieving a perovskite recovery efficiency of 99.0% ± 0.4%. The recovered perovskite material has a purity of 99.999312%.
In recent years, the accumulation of silicon photovoltaic (PV) waste has highlighted the importance of considering waste recovery before the commercialization of emerging PV technologies. Perovskite PV is a promising next-generation technology, and recycling its end-of-life waste can reduce toxic waste and preserve resources. Traditional perovskite PV recycling methods rely on hazardous solvents, posing environmental risks and poor compatibility with industrial processes.
In light of this, Gao Feng of Linköping University and Fengqi You of Cornell University have proposed a low-cost, green solvent-based, holistic recycling strategy for recovering all valuable components from perovskite PV waste. A highly efficient, water-based perovskite recycling method has been developed that can also revitalize degraded perovskites. The research further expanded the recycling scope to include the charge transport layer, substrate, cover glass, and metal electrodes. After repeated degradation-recycling cycles, the recycled devices exhibited comparable efficiency and stability to new devices. The team demonstrated five cycles of degradation-recycling, demonstrating the feasibility and reproducibility of their comprehensive recycling strategy. Even after five cycles, the devices maintained an average power conversion efficiency of 21.8% ± 0.8%. Compared to landfill disposal, the overall recycling strategy reduced resource consumption by 96.6% and human toxicity (cancer effects) associated with perovskite photovoltaics by 68.8%. Recycling also reduces the levelized cost of electricity for utility-scale and residential systems.
This study demonstrates that recycling strategies can significantly reduce the environmental burden of discarded perovskite modules, particularly their human toxicity and resource depletion impacts, while also reducing the levelized cost of electricity. This demonstrates the unique opportunities for comprehensive recycling of perovskite photovoltaics and paves the way for a sustainable perovskite solar economy.
Source：https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08408-7