Developments in Clean Energy

Nitin Padture’s research team has developed a molecular glue that increases the efficiency of perovskite solar cells in converting sunlight into electricity. This work, published in Science, was included in a recent patent application guided by Brown Technology Innovations.

Stabilizing the multi-layered structure of the perovskite solar cells has been a big challenge to the expanded use of solar energy. Padture’s team identified a compound that forms strong bonds with different layers of the cells. This discovery extends the length of time at which the cells retain 80% of their peak efficiency from 700 to 4,000 hours. Full story here.

Nitin Padture is a Professor of Engineering and Director of the Institute for Molecular and Nanoscale Innovation at Brown.