Scientists from Swansea University in Wales have created what is described as the world’s first ‘fully printable’ perovskite solar cells using an innovative process.

The team sought to replace the expensive and slow evaporation process for applying gold electrodes and identified the right solvent mix for the carbon electrode ink to dry as a film without dissolving the underlying layer.

The devices with carbon electrodes showed a similar photovoltaic performance to those with evaporated gold electrodes, but with the added benefits of outperforming at higher temperatures and having better long-term stability.

The researchers received funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for their work.

Photovoltaic Research Lead, Professor Trystan Watson, said: “Perovskite solar cells show great promise in the drive towards cleaner, greener energy.

“The ability to produce a fully working device entirely in-line makes high-volume manufacturing easier and more economical and is a big step towards their commercialisation. It unlocks the idea of manufacturing process where a solar ink is added one end and a solar cell emerges from the other.”