Perovskite solar cells have long been viewed as a game-changing photovoltaic technology, combining high efficiency with low manufacturing costs. Yet despite rapid laboratory progress, commercial deployment has remained elusive due to persistent stability and defect-related challenges. A new study published in Science on January 9, 2026, offers a significant step toward overcoming these barriers, marking the journal’s first solar-cell paper of the year (Science, Jan 9, 2026).
The research, titled “Molecular Press Annealing Enables Robust Perovskite Solar Cells,” was led by Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in collaboration with Xiamen University, and introduces a novel fabrication approach known as Molecular Press Annealing (MPA). The technique directly addresses one of the most problematic stages in perovskite device manufacturing: thermal annealing.
Conventional thermal annealing is essential for forming high-quality perovskite films, but it often creates surface defects, lattice disorder, and iodine vacancies. These defects accelerate ion migration and self-doping, ultimately reducing device efficiency and long-term stability—key obstacles that have limited large-scale adoption of perovskite photovoltaics (XJTU–XMU study, 2026).
The MPA strategy offers a solvent-free solution. During annealing, researchers imprint a dense molecular template layer onto the perovskite surface using a carefully designed ligand, 2-pyridylethylamine. This molecule forms stable bidentate coordination bonds with under-coordinated lead ions, reinforcing the lead-iodine framework and effectively suppressing the formation and migration of iodine vacancies (Science, Jan 9, 2026).
As a result, the perovskite films exhibit higher crystallinity, lower defect density, and improved charge transport characteristics. Devices fabricated using this approach delivered certified power conversion efficiencies of 26.5% for small-area cells (0.08 cm²) and 24.9% for 1 cm² devices, while maintaining 23.0% efficiency at a 16 cm² module scale—a notable achievement for perovskite modules of this size.
Equally important is the demonstrated durability. The solar cells retained over 98% of their initial efficiency after 1,600 hours of testing at 85°C and 60% relative humidity under ISOS-L-3 standards, and showed negligible degradation after 5,000 hours of ambient storage (ISOS-D-1), highlighting their robustness (XJTU–XMU study, 2026).
The work was supported by China’s National Key R&D Program and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, with Xi’an Jiaotong University serving as the corresponding institution. The findings position Molecular Press Annealing as a promising pathway for translating perovskite solar cells from laboratory success to commercial viability—an advancement with global implications for next-generation solar technology.
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