Rational Design for Self-Healing Perovskite Solar Cells

Halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer high power conversion efficiencies; however, their poor operational stability remains a major bottleneck to their practical applications. This limitation arises from the soft and dynamic ionic lattices of the halide perovskites, which render them highly susceptible to degradation under external stimuli. Simultaneously, this dynamic lattice enables recovery via defect redistribution and reversible chemical equilibria, a phenomenon often called “self-healing”. From this perspective, herein we propose that the future of PSC stability lies in not only slowing degradation but also harnessing the intrinsic reversibility to enable repeatable self-healing behavior. We discuss how light, heat, and moisture stresses trigger both degradation and recovery pathways. Building on these mechanisms, we highlight the material and structural strategies for reinforcing reversible processes. Finally, based on the unified design principles and key future challenges, we reframe degradation not simply as a failure pathway, but as an opportunity for self-healing design.