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Novel method of recycling perovskite solar cells using iodide solutions

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Abstract

A novel recycling method utilizing aqueous iodide solutions has shown promise at selectively dissolving lead perovskite and preserving the glass substrate of lead perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Perovskite compounds are notorious for degrading upon contact with moisture into lead iodide which can be capitalized upon for recycling. When iodide ions reach a critical concentration in aqueous solutions, the solubility of lead iodide begins to rapidly increase as several complex ions are formed. Iodide solutions selectively interact with the perovskite material which dissolves from the edge inwards, allowing for exfoliation of the back contact and retention of the glass substrate and electron transport layer. PbI2 solubility studies using KI, HI, and NH4I were conducted to determine an effective iodide source to develop a scalable recycling process. Retaining the coated glass substrate intact preserves the possibility to manufacture new solar cells from the same materials, by also omitting the use of organic solvents the costs as well as the human and environmental hazards of recycling PSCs can be minimized.

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Acknowledgments

Acknowledgement to the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering department at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology for the use of laboratory space and equipment. Thank you to the Department of Energy for funding this research, DOE award number DE-EE0009836.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph St., Rapid City, SD, 57701, USA

    Tanner O’Hara, Brett Carlson & Jon Kellar

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph St., Rapid City, SD, 57701, USA

    Achyuth Ravilla, Emma McCalmont & Ilke Celik

  3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, 2801 Bancroft St., Toledo, OH, 43606, USA

    Zhaoning Song

Authors
  1. Tanner O’Hara
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  2. Achyuth Ravilla
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  4. Brett Carlson
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  5. Jon Kellar
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  6. Zhaoning Song
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  7. Ilke Celik
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Correspondence to Brett Carlson.

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O’Hara, T., Ravilla, A., McCalmont, E. et al. Novel method of recycling perovskite solar cells using iodide solutions. MRS Advances 8, 296–301 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-023-00559-5

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