Источник фото – scientificrussia.ru
Cells based on perovskite, a relatively rare mineral on the Earth’s surface that serves as a source of titanium and niobium, quickly degrade under the influence of oxygen, light and prolonged heating, which limits their use in terrestrial conditions. One solution could be to use perovskite elements in outer space, where there is no oxygen whereas the heating and cooling periods are short. Under such conditions, the only problem is low photostability, i.e., relatively high rate of degradation of elements under the influence of photons.
The scientists from the FRC of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry RAS have managed to slow down this process by adding europium. This solution improved the performance of perovskite cells in three parameters at once: light, gamma radiation and electrons. As a result, their photo- and radiation stability increased by one and a half to two times.
“Perovskite solar cells with the addition of europium can operate for 2–3 years under photoemission without significant degradation. This is comparable to the lifetime of silicon solar panels operating in outer space today. At the same time, we managed to improve radiation stability. It’s much higher than that of silicon panels: experiments have shown that perovskite panels only start to degrade under the influence of very high doses of radiation, which are characteristic of being in orbit for up to 10 years. That is, perovskite cells are perfect for working in space, because they are efficient, cheap and stable,” Ivan Zhidkov, head of the laboratory of the Ural Federal University, is quoted as saying by the FRC of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry RAS.
The authors of the study estimate that perovskite solar cells produce more than six times more electricity per unit weight than silicon solar cells (20 W versus 3 W per gram). The scientists expect that these advantages will help improve the efficiency of power supply to near-Earth satellites.
