journal article·2026-07-09Open access

Eco‐Friendly Solvent System for Inkjet Deposition of Wide Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells Enabling Tandem Integration

Uma Kousalya Dangudubiyyam, Raphael Pesch, Ozan Karakaya, Theresa Kuechle, Faranak Sadegh, Nils W. Rosemann, Henry Weber, Ralf Niemann, Fabian Fertig, Johannes Sutter, Jinzhao Li, Gerardo Hernandez Sosa, Ulrich W. Paetzold

Abstract

ABSTRACT Inkjet printing offers scalable, material‐efficient route to fabricate perovskite solar cells. However, the widespread use of toxic and hazardous solvents in one‐step printed perovskite absorber layers poses significant environmental and safety challenges when handling large volumes in production. In this work, we overcome this limitation by demonstrating high‐performance, wide‐bandgap inkjet‐printed perovskite solar cells processed with truly green, non‐toxic solvent system, entirely free of carcinogenic and highly hazardous components. γ‐Valerolactone, a biomass‐derived solvent, is employed as the primary solvent due to its low toxicity and environmental impact, and dimethyl sulfoxide is introduced as a co‐solvent to overcome solubility constraints of wide‐bandgap perovskite precursors (> 1.68 eV). The ink chemistry and rheology are optimized for solubility and printability. The challenges of wetting and drying dynamics are addressed by tuning interactions between substrate and ink, combined with additive and surface engineering to enhance performance. The resulting green‐solvent‐based, inkjet‐printed perovskite solar cells exhibit power conversion efficiencies exceeding 17% in single‐junction devices. Critically, we further demonstrate first perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell integrating one‐step inkjet‐printed perovskite thin film, achieving an efficiency above 28%. These results establish green solvent inkjet printing as a viable and compelling pathway toward sustainable and scalable manufacturing of high‐efficiency perovskite photovoltaics.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Perovskite Materials and Applications · Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies · TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Light Technology Institute (LTI) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Karlsruhe Germany

InnovationLab Heidelberg Germany

Institute of Microstructure Technology Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Eggenstein‐Leopoldshafen Germany

Hanwha Qcells GmbH Bitterfeld‐Wolfen Germany

Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Eggenstein‐Leopoldshafen Germany

Funding

Helmholtz Association · Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

References (65)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1039/D4EE06027J10.1039/D4EE06027J ↗
2. 10.1039/C7TA90141K10.1039/C7TA90141K ↗
3. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Best Research‐Cell Efficiency Chart accessed July 03 2025 https://www.nrel.gov/pv/cell‐efficiency.
4. 10.1039/D3RA01692G10.1039/D3RA01692G ↗
5. 10.1016/j.rser.2017.04.00310.1016/j.rser.2017.04.003 ↗
6. 10.1039/D3QI00599B10.1039/D3QI00599B ↗
7. 10.1002/aenm.20190318410.1002/aenm.201903184 ↗
8. 10.1002/solr.20240016510.1002/solr.202400165 ↗
9. 10.1021/acsenergylett.2c0030410.1021/acsenergylett.2c00304 ↗
10. 10.1002/pip.348910.1002/pip.3489 ↗
11. 10.1038/s41560‐022‐01059‐w10.1038/s41560‐022‐01059‐w ↗
12. 10.1021/acsami.3c1192310.1021/acsami.3c11923 ↗
13. 10.1002/adma.20090114110.1002/adma.200901141 ↗
14. 10.1002/ange.20140863810.1002/ange.201408638 ↗
15. 10.1002/smsc.20250036210.1002/smsc.202500362 ↗
16. 10.1002/aenm.20240054910.1002/aenm.202400549 ↗
17. 10.1002/advs.20241663410.1002/advs.202416634 ↗
18. 10.1002/smtd.20230066410.1002/smtd.202300664 ↗
19. 10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c0920810.1021/acssuschemeng.0c09208 ↗
20. 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.01.02310.1016/j.pbb.2012.01.023 ↗
21. 10.2174/138920021966618092509083410.2174/1389200219666180925090834 ↗
22. 10.1038/s41893‐023‐01196‐410.1038/s41893‐023‐01196‐4 ↗
23. 10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c0542510.1021/acssuschemeng.4c05425 ↗
24. 10.1147/rd.283.032210.1147/rd.283.0322 ↗
25. 10.1021/cm010163210.1021/cm0101632 ↗
26. 10.3390/nano904058210.3390/nano9040582 ↗
27. 10.1039/C6CE00813E10.1039/C6CE00813E ↗
28. 10.1126/science.abn769610.1126/science.abn7696 ↗
29. 10.1002/aenm.20180299510.1002/aenm.201802995 ↗
30. 10.1021/acsaem.8b0022210.1021/acsaem.8b00222 ↗
31. 10.1002/aenm.20160182210.1002/aenm.201601822 ↗
32. 10.1038/ncomms1568810.1038/ncomms15688 ↗
33. 10.1007/s10118‐023‐2961‐z10.1007/s10118‐023‐2961‐z ↗
34. Sigma‐Aldrich Dimethylformamide Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/SIAL/227056.
35. Sigma‐Aldrich Dimethylacetamide Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/sial/271012.
36. Sigma‐Aldrich. 1 3‐Dimethyl‐2‐imidazolidinone (DMI) Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/aldrich/40727.
37. Sigma‐Aldrich N‐Methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/SIGALD/270458.
38. Sigma‐Aldrich Acetonitrile Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/sial/271004.
39. Sigma‐Aldrich Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/SIGMA/D2438.
40. Sigma‐Aldrich Tetrahydrofuran (THF) Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/sial/401757.
41. Sigma‐Aldrich Gamma‐Butyrolactone (GBL) Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/aldrich/b103608.
42. Sigma‐Aldrich Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/sial/w292912.
43. Sigma‐Aldrich Ethanol Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/sial/459836.
44. Sigma‐Aldrich Gamma‐Valerolactone (GVL) Safety Data Sheet accessed July 07 2025 https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/DE/en/sds/aldrich/w310301.
45. Yan K. · 2017 · 41310.1007/978-981-10-4172-3_13 ↗
46. 10.1016/S0010‐8545(00)82045‐710.1016/S0010‐8545(00)82045‐7 ↗
47. 10.1007/s10854‐016‐6228‐010.1007/s10854‐016‐6228‐0 ↗
48. 10.1007/s00339‐013‐7569‐710.1007/s00339‐013‐7569‐7 ↗
49. 10.1021/la900059m10.1021/la900059m ↗
50. 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c0329710.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03297 ↗
51. 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b0280310.1021/acs.analchem.8b02803 ↗
52. 10.1007/s42247‐025‐01007‐w10.1007/s42247‐025‐01007‐w ↗
53. 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c0089710.1021/acsphotonics.3c00897 ↗
54. 10.1039/C4TA03387F10.1039/C4TA03387F ↗
55. 10.1021/acsami.1c2212810.1021/acsami.1c22128 ↗
56. C. W.Lee “Advanced Analytical Chemistry Crystal Structural Analysis Department of Applied Chemistry Kookmin University ” (2022) http://kocw‐n.xcache.kinxcdn.com/data/document/2022/kookmin/leechanwoo0125/01.pdf.
57. 10.1002/adma.20190503510.1002/adma.201905035 ↗
58. 10.1021/acsenergylett.8b0054410.1021/acsenergylett.8b00544 ↗
59. 10.1021/jacs.2c1356610.1021/jacs.2c13566 ↗
60. 10.1126/science.aag270010.1126/science.aag2700 ↗
61. 10.1126/science.adk163310.1126/science.adk1633 ↗
62. 10.1007/s12200‐023‐00103‐110.1007/s12200‐023‐00103‐1 ↗
63. 10.1038/s41467‐022‐34203‐x10.1038/s41467‐022‐34203‐x ↗
64. 10.1002/aenm.20220110910.1002/aenm.202201109 ↗
65. 10.1038/s41586‐022‐05541‐z10.1038/s41586‐022‐05541‐z ↗