Multiscale simulation of eco-friendly perovskites under space radiation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Space Technology

Background:

• Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are advancing for terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) applications.
• Growing interest exists in utilizing PSCs for space PV due to their potential for lightweight, flexible, and radiation-tolerant designs.
• Ensuring the long-term stability of PSCs under harsh space radiation is critical for their adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate lead-free tin-based PSCs for space applications.
• To investigate the photoelectric properties and stability of methylammonium tin iodide (MASnI3) and cesium tin triiodide (CsSnI3) based PSCs.
• To assess the radiation tolerance and thermal stability of these PSCs under simulated space conditions.

Main Methods:

• Simulation of photoelectric properties using Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator (SCAPS-1D) software.
• Analysis of radiation damage profiles using SRIM/TRIM simulations.
• Calculation of nuclear reaction cross-sections and radioactivities using TALYS 2.0.

Main Results:

• Optimized MASnI3 PSCs achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.53% under AM0 spectrum, outperforming CsSnI3 PSCs (19.93%).
• CsSnI3 PSCs exhibited superior thermal stability and resistance to performance degradation at high temperatures compared to MASnI3 PSCs.
• SRIM/TRIM and SCAPS analyses indicated that CsSnI3 PSCs possess better radiation tolerance due to fewer displaced atoms under proton irradiation.

Conclusions:

• Lead-free tin-based PSCs are viable candidates for space PV, with CsSnI3 showing enhanced stability under radiation and thermal stress.
• MASnI3 PSCs, despite higher initial efficiency, are susceptible to performance degradation in harsh space environments.
• Calculated radioactivity levels from proton interactions were low, posing no significant threat, supporting the safety of these materials for space deployment.