Global energy consumption has already reached 13 TW per year, and this figure is expected to increase to 30 TW by 2050. Although non-renewable resources currently supply the majority of this demand, solar energy presents a promising, long-term source of energy. However, the dominant technology, silicon-based photovoltaics, requires expensive silicon crystal growth and processing techniques, limiting the economic appeal of this technology despite the abundance of accessible silicon. Perovskites have emerged as a promising class of photovoltaic materials; perovskite solar cell efficiency has increased from 3.8% in 2009 to a confirmed 17.9% in 2014. In addition, the solution-processable fabrication of perovskite films under ambient conditions makes roll-to-roll manufacturing or inkjet-printing of perovskites potential options for inexpensive mass production of solar modules. Many of these impressive gains in solar efficiency have resulted from controlling the structure of the perovskite film, which in turn is controlled by the growth rate of perovskite films. I am currently working on developing new methods to control the growth rate of perovskite films by exploring alternative precursors and synthetic strategies.
Advisor: Alex Jen, Materials Science and Engineering
Product of Lasting Value: Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy Video