Global efforts to harness cleaner energy just got a boost from the Chinese mainland. Scientists at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have engineered a radical self-assembled molecular material for perovskite solar cells.
This innovation tackles two major hurdles: inconsistent performance and the challenge of fabricating uniform, large-area hole-transport layers. By self-assembling at the molecular level, the new material ensures even coverage and enhanced stability.
The breakthrough received efficiency certification from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a leading authority in solar research. This endorsement confirms the material’s potential to meet world-class performance benchmarks.
Perovskite cells are celebrated for their lightweight design, flexibility and lower production costs compared with traditional silicon panels. With this advance, manufacturers can scale up production more reliably, bringing down prices and speeding up deployment.
Experts believe that this development could accelerate the global energy transition by offering a path to high-efficiency, low-cost solar modules. It also opens doors for partnerships across G20 members, driving innovation and sustainability.
The research was published on June 27, 2025, in Science. As the technology moves toward commercialization, it promises to reshape how we capture and use solar power around the globe.
Reference(s):
Chinese scientists achieve breakthrough in semiconductor photovoltaics
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