Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Influence of Hybrid Perovskite Fabrication Methods on Film Formation, Electronic Structure, and Solar Cell Performance
Published on: February 27, 2017
One Stone Two Birds: Sustainable Perovskite Solar Cells Obtained by Using Water-Based Recycled PbI2 and Guanidinium
Pivini Gunasekara1,2, Minh Tam Hoang1,2, Saveen Senanayeke1,2
1School of Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract:
Recycling materials from end-of-use metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is essential for reducing environmental risks and improving the sustainability of this emerging photovoltaic technology, with lead iodide (PbI2) being a target due to its toxicity and material value. However, the performance of PSCs is known to be highly sensitive to the purity of precursor materials including PbI2. In this study, a simple water-based recycling and recrystallization method was developed to recover PbI2 from spent PSCs. Characterizations have shown that the recycled-PbI2 was comparable to high-purity (99.99%)PbI2. The perovskite (MAPbI3) film made from the recycled-PbI2 or lower purity (99%)PbI2 shows smaller grains, which are undesirable for their applications in solar cells. It is found that treatment of the recycled PbI2-based perovskite film with guanidinium thiocyanate (GuaSCN) can significantly enhance morphology and properties of the perovskite film with larger grains (∼700 nm), reduced trap-assisted recombination. PSCs with champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.25% were obtained, which well surpassed the performance of the PSCs made from commercial 99%PbI2 (PCE 11.68%). This work shows the potential of reclaiming PbI2 from decommissioned, decomposed perovskite materials, and even purifying the contaminated PSCs in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly manner, generating commercial and environmental benefits.
