Recycled Utilization of a Nanoporous Au Electrode for Reduced Fabrication Cost of Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) using metal electrodes have been regarded as promising candidates for next-generation photovoltaic devices because of their high efficiency, low fabrication temperature, and low cost potential. However, the complicated and rigorous thermal deposition process of metal contact electrodes remains a challenging issue for reducing the energy pay-back period in commercial PSCs, as the ubiquitous one-time use of a contact electrode wastes limited resources and pollutes the environment. Here, a nanoporous Au film electrode fabricated by a simple dry transfer process is introduced to replace the thermally evaporated Au electrode in PSCs. A high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.0% is demonstrated in PSCs with the nanoporous Au film electrode. Moreover, the electrode is recycled more than 12 times to realize a further reduced fabrication cost of PSCs and noble metal materials consumption and to prevent environmental pollution. When the nanoporous Au electrode is applied to flexible PSCs, a PCE of 17.3% and superior bending durability of approximately 98.5% after 1000 cycles of harsh bending tests are achieved. The nanoscale pores and the capability of the porous structure to impede crack generation and propagation enable the nanoporous Au electrode to be recycled and result in excellent bending durability.