Capsaicin, the spicy chemical compound found in chilli peppers may hold the secret to increasing stability and efficiency in perovskite (type of solar) solar cells .

Research conducted by Chinese and Swedish teams has determined that sprinkling capsaicin over the solar cells during the manufacturing process led to an increase in electrons conducting current over the surface of the panel.

The result. The most efficient and sustainable perovskite solar cell to date was created.

Key notes:

  • The chemical compound that makes chilli’s extra spicy, capsaicin, is being used to increase solar performance.
  • The use of a biomaterial such as capsaicin ensures a more sustainable manufacturing process for solar panels.
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red chilliPerovskite Solar Cell V.s Chill Spice | The Results

Using state-of-the-art technology such as ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence, the team at East China Normal University conducted a series of tests to prove the qualities of capsaicin.

During experimentation, it was found that solar cells that did not contain the spicy compound performed at 19.1% power conversion while solar cells that did contain capsaicin performed at 21.88% efficiency.

Also, the solar cells that were coated with capsaicin also had improved stability and maintained a 90% efficiency after 800 hours.

Using Chilli Spice To Turn Perovskite Solar Cell Manufacturing Green

Qinye Bao, from East China Normal University explains that “In the future, green and sustainable forest-based biomaterial additive technology will be a clear trend in non-toxic lead-free perovskite materials.”

“We hope this will eventually yield a fully green perovskite solar cell for a clean energy source.”

While metal halide perovskites are effective in the commercial market, faults such as reduced efficiency and heat losses have promoted the Chinese team to seek natural, inexpensive methods to overcome these problems.

“Considering the electric, chemical, optical and stable properties of capsaicin, we preliminarily found that it would be a promising candidate”, says Bao.

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