Recent advances in enhancing efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have emerged as one of the most promising next-generation photovoltaic technologies, achieving certified power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 26% within little more than a decade of active research. Their tunable optoelectronic properties, compositional versatility, and compatibility with low-temperature, solution-based manufacturing routes position them as strong candidates for both standalone and tandem photovoltaic applications. Despite this extraordinary progress, two overarching challenges—insufficient long-term operational stability and the absence of scalable, reproducible manufacturing processes—continue to impede commercialization. This review addresses these challenges within the structural and compositional foundation of perovskite absorbers, covering crystal chemistry, ABX3 stoichiometry variants, and the principal device architectures (n–i–p, p–i–n, mesoporous, and planar). Also, the intrinsic optical and electronic factors governing device efficiency, including bandgap engineering, charge-carrier dynamics, recombination mechanisms, and charge-transport physics were surveyed. Also, efficiency-enhancement strategies such as novel fabrication techniques (spin-coating, blade coating, slot-die coating, vapor deposition, and VASP), light-absorption optimization through additive and compositional engineering (ionic liquids, Lewis acid/base additives, and mixed-cation/halide systems), defect passivation approaches (alkali-ion incorporation, coordination-chemistry passivants, and surface treatments), and charge-transport layer optimization (SnO2- and ZnO-based ETLs, dopant-free HTMs) were surveyed systematically. Importantly, the principal stability challenges—moisture ingress, UV-induced degradation, thermal decomposition, and mechanical stress—alongside the corresponding mitigation strategies, including two-dimensional/three-dimensional heterostructures, hydrophobic surface coatings, thermal stabilizers, and encapsulation technologies were investigated. A comparative analysis of all strategies with respect to demonstrated performance, key limitations, and scalability is provided in tabular form. Finally, a forward-looking perspective on commercial viability, identifying the critical technology-readiness milestones required to transition PSCs from laboratory champions to industrially deployable, environmentally responsible photovoltaic modules, were reviewed.