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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
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Inkjet Printing All Inorganic Halide Perovskite Inks for Photovoltaic Applications
Published on: January 22, 2019
Eco-Friendly Solvent System for Inkjet Deposition of Wide Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells Enabling Tandem Integration
Uma Kousalya Dangudubiyyam1,2, Raphael Pesch1,3, Ozan Karakaya1,2
1Light Technology Institute (LTI), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Summary
This study introduces green solvent inkjet printing for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells, overcoming toxicity issues. This sustainable method achieves over 17% efficiency in single-junction and over 28% in tandem devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Inkjet printing is a scalable method for perovskite solar cells.
- Toxic solvents used in current methods pose environmental and safety risks.
- Developing green solvent systems is crucial for sustainable manufacturing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop high-performance, wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells using a non-toxic, green solvent system.
- To optimize ink chemistry, rheology, and printing processes for enhanced performance.
- To demonstrate the viability of green solvent inkjet printing for perovskite photovoltaics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized γ-Valerolactone (biomass-derived) as the primary green solvent, with dimethyl sulfoxide as a co-solvent.
- Optimized ink formulation and rheology for solubility and printability of wide-bandgap perovskite precursors.
- Engineered substrate-ink interactions, additives, and surfaces to control wetting and drying dynamics.
Main Results:
- Achieved power conversion efficiencies exceeding 17% for single-junction green-solvent inkjet-printed perovskite solar cells.
- Demonstrated the first perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell using one-step inkjet-printed perovskite, achieving over 28% efficiency.
- Successfully processed perovskite absorber layers with a non-toxic, environmentally friendly solvent system.
Conclusions:
- Green solvent inkjet printing is a viable pathway for sustainable and scalable manufacturing of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells.
- This approach overcomes the environmental and safety challenges associated with traditional toxic solvents.
- The developed technology enables the production of advanced perovskite photovoltaic devices with competitive efficiencies.
