Will perovskite photovoltaics be toxic to us? The researchers broke their silence

Perovskite photovoltaics will be our new future. Everything points to it. These solar panels not only rely on synthetic compounds, but also can achieve higher energy conversion efficiency. Unfortunately, perovskite cells are not without drawbacks, the biggest being their low stability, so they need to be coated with special polymers.

in pages Solar materials and solar cells The results of research conducted by scientists from the Russian company Skoltech appeared. Despite the current sanctions and the exclusion of Russian scientists from many international projects, we can still read about some of the discoveries of scientists from this country. Here it is worth considering for a moment the research conducted by experts.

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The researchers addressed the toxicity of feedstocks for the next generation of perovskite photovoltaic cells. They studied the effect of specific compounds using the method in the laboratory (on cultured human cells) f in vivo (on mice). They looked at the toxicities of stannous iodide, lead iodide, methylammonium iodide (Ul) and formamidine iodide (Phi).

Perovskite photovoltaic cells pose a health hazard? It is already known

The results, in both human and mouse cells, provide a concrete conclusion – perovskite solar panels built on a massive scale will not present risks to public health and the environment. The greatest amount of anxiety has been found in small enough amounts in the PSC to be dangerous to our health. Being near solar panels does not cause any side effects. Only when we swallow a piece of a perovskite cell can we face a dangerous situation.

The researchers showed that stannous iodide is 10 times less toxic than lead iodide in PSC. MAI and FAI have the greatest toxicity—these compounds need more attention when creating perovskite units.

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In the case of lead, the risk turned out to be minimal. In any case, as it was calculated, if the perovskite sheets completely displaced the silicon technology, the lead in all the cells would only account for 4 percent. global consumption. This is a similar value for this ingredient that the cosmetic industry uses today.

The Skoltech researchers’ analysis turned out to be essential. As it turns out, not all search results indicate any threats, but they also carry good news and open the way for the implementation of new solutions, as happened in this case. As an exaggeration, it can be concluded that perovskite will not share the fate of asbestos – it is known here before it is put on the market whether it will pose a health hazard.