Led by Professor Anita Ho-Baillie, John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience at the University of Sydney Nano Institute and the School of Physics, the project achieved a certified steady-state power conversion efficiency of 23.3 percent for a 16 cm2 device, setting a world record for its class. A smaller 1 cm2 version reached 27.06 percent efficiency while maintaining exceptional thermal stability.
The breakthrough, published in Nature Nanotechnology, marks the first time a 1 cm2 triple-junction cell has passed the International Electrotechnical Commission's Thermal Cycling test, enduring 200 cycles from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius and retaining 95 percent of its efficiency after 400 hours of illumination.
A triple-junction solar cell stacks three semiconductors to capture more of the solar spectrum. The Sydney team enhanced both the chemistry and design by replacing unstable methylammonium with rubidium, forming a more robust perovskite lattice. They also substituted lithium fluoride with piperazinium dichloride, increasing stability, and used nanoscale gold particles to improve charge transport and light absorption.
Professor Ho-Baillie said these refinements significantly improved performance and resilience: "We improved both the performance and the resilience of these solar cells. This not only demonstrates that large, stable perovskite devices are possible but also shows the enormous potential for further efficiency gains."
The research demonstrates scalable, durable perovskite devices suitable for real-world applications. Supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Australian Research Council, the work involved collaborators from China, Germany, and Slovenia.
"This is the largest triple-junction perovskite device yet demonstrated and it has been rigorously tested and certified by independent laboratories," said Professor Ho-Baillie. "That gives us further confidence that the technology can be scaled for practical use."
The publication coincides with Professor Ho-Baillie's 2025 Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research, awarded for her pioneering work on perovskite solar technology. "Perovskites are already showing us that we can push efficiencies beyond the limits of silicon alone," she said. "These advances mean we are moving closer to cheaper, more sustainable solar energy that will help power a low-carbon future."
Research Report:Tailoring nanoscale interfaces for perovskite-perovskite-silicon triple-junction solar cells
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