Progress in recycling organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells for eco-friendly fabrication

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been regarded as a promising next-generation photovoltaic technology that has shown unprecedented development in power conversion efficiency (PCE) during the last decade because of the intriguing optoelectronic qualities of perovskite materials. Although the certified PCE of PSCs has been enhanced up to 25.5% in the single-junction structure, long-term stability is still a critical restraining factor for their commercial application because the frail stability of organic–inorganic perovskite materials inevitably induces degradation of the photoactive layer, reduction in photovoltaic device performance, and increase in fabrication cost and impact potential applications. Moreover, the degradation of perovskite materials can cause leakage of lead compounds, which will lead to health and environmental issues. Therefore, it is necessary to recycle PSC components used for industrial fabrication. In this review, we discuss the necessity for recycling and different methods for recycling transparent conductive oxide substrates without/with carrier transport materials, toxic lead compounds in perovskites, metal electrodes and monolithic structures. Moreover, the recycling protocol has been discussed according to various stacked architectures. Finally, the outlook of next-stage recycling in perovskite photovoltaics has also been suggested for promoting eco-friendly large-scale fabrication and application.