A Promising Solvent Strategy for Commercialization of Perovskite Photovoltaic Modules
Perovskite photovoltaics (PVs) have emerged as leading candidates for next-generation solar technology due to low production costs, high efficiencies, and compatibility with large-area manufacturing. However, commercialization faces bottlenecks: toxic solvents, non-uniform film quality over large areas, and insufficient operational reliability. Wang et al. developed a green-solvent ink and a solvent-confinement edge-protection (SCEP) strategy to address these issues. By increasing the fraction of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) in a gamma-valerolactone (GVL) based solvent system, they weakened perovskite-GVL coordination, accelerated solvent extraction during vacuum-chamber drying, and promoted rapid supersaturation toward the desired alpha-phase while suppressing the non-perovskite delta-phase. This resulted in perovskite films with enlarged grains, reduced voids, and improved crystallinity in ambient air. To mitigate edge effects during slot-die coating, they incorporated a cationic surfactant, trimethyltetradecylammonium chloride (TAC), which self-assembled at the liquid-vapor interface, reducing surface tension and inducing Marangoni flow to equalize evaporation. This SCEP strategy suppressed rapid edge evaporation, leading to uniform film morphology. The best-performing modules achieved a total area of 7200 cm², with J-V curves and stabilized efficiency certifications from NREL and TÜV Rheinland, demonstrating commercial viability. This work provides a unified framework for solvent design and process control, advancing perovskite PV modules toward industrial production.