Colour-tuneable perovskite solar cell is 3D printed
The colour and transparency of a flexible perovskite solar cell can reportedly be tuned through a 3D-printed pillar structure.
Transparent solar cells could be incorporated into buildings to harness light streaming through windows
© YIUCHEUNG/ShutterstockThe pillar structure avoids having to change the cell's material composition.
The goal 'was to create a power-generating surface that behaves more like a building material', highlight Professors Shlomo Magdassi and Lioz Etgar from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Conventional solar technologies are 'opaque, rigid and visually intrusive', while the transparent solar cell could be incorporated into vertical window glazing, building façades, and flexible or curved surfaces.
To produce the device, the team first defined the optical and architectural targets – how transparent the device should be and what visual appearance it should have, while maintaining useful electricity generation.
They then designed a pattern of microscale polymeric pillars. These tiny structures act like carefully shaped openings that regulate light transmission, eliminating the need to alter the solar material itself.
The microscopic, optical-structural, pillar layer is 3D printed using a 'non-toxic and solvent-free' polymer.
This was combined with an electricity-generating, perovskite, solar-cell stack that includes a transparent electrode layer. Adjusting the electrode’s composition and thickness changes how the device reflects selected wavelengths of light, thereby tuning its colour. Achieving transparency through a repeatable, 3D-printed microstructure rather than complex re-engineering of the solar material means the devices are also scaleable.
Magdassi and Etgar explain, 'Transparency in solar devices typically comes with a performance penalty because you are asking the device to absorb less light. Here, the transparency is set by a 3D-printed, microscopic, pillar architecture that regulates how much light passes through [it], while leaving the solar material itself intact.' The system reportedly balances energy output and durability, while giving more control over aesthetic and functionality.
By avoiding high temperatures and toxic solvents, the scientists claim this supports manufacturability and alleviates safety concerns, while making the method more environmentally friendly.
The flexible solar cells reportedly display up to 9.2% power-conversion efficiency and an average visible transparency of ~35%, as well as maintaining stable performance after repeated bending and extended operation. This approximates some of the stresses encountered in architectural environments, indicating the design’s potential for real-world use.
The researchers emphasise that the design is considered to be 'in a different category from conventional rooftop silicon panels, which are much higher efficiency but opaque and rigid'. They say it is useful for 'adding solar generation to surfaces that typically cannot host conventional modules' rather than 'beating rooftop panels'.
'For solar to integrate into buildings at scale, it needs to work with architectural design choices rather than fight them. Being able to tune appearance, without giving up electricity generation, helps solar blend into different building styles, urban requirements and aesthetic expectations,' continue Magdassi and Etgar.
The researchers say commercialisation depends 'mainly on scale-up and long-term durability validation'. Although lab and early stress tests are encouraging, they need to move into trials of larger, uniform formats suitable for windows and façade modules.
Next steps also include consistent large-area manufacturing, improving long-term outdoor durability, and moisture resistance through protective encapsulation and barrier layers. They also want to develop building-scale demonstrators that integrate with standard electrical systems. The team hopes to partner with architectural glass manufacturers and construction and façade companies.
