Our New Publication in Nature Communications: Improving Thermal Fatigue Resistance of Perovskite Solar Cells for Space

March 9, 2026

Our group has published a new study in Nature Communications demonstrating a strategy to improve the resistance of perovskite solar cells to extreme temperature cycling—an important step toward their use in space environments.

The work, titled “Perovskite solar cells with enhanced thermal fatigue resistance under extreme temperature cycling,” addresses a critical durability challenge for next-generation photovoltaic technologies. While metal halide perovskite solar cells offer exceptional power-to-weight ratios and low manufacturing costs, their stability under repeated exposure to large temperature fluctuations—common in space environments—has remained poorly understood.

Understanding Thermal Fatigue in Space Conditions

In low Earth orbit, solar cells experience rapid and repeated transitions between extreme temperatures. To study this effect, we developed an accelerated thermal cycling protocol between −80 °C and +80 °C, closely mimicking the thermal stresses encountered in space.

Our experiments revealed that the mismatch in thermal expansion between the perovskite absorber layer and the glass substrate creates mechanical strain during temperature swings. This strain leads to degradation particularly at:

• the substrate–perovskite interface, and

• grain boundaries within the perovskite film

Both regions represent mechanically vulnerable parts of the device stack.

A Molecular “Suspension System” for Perovskite Solar Cells

To address these failure mechanisms, we introduced a dual molecular reinforcement strategy.

The approach combines:

• α-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid additives, which undergo in-situ polymerization during thermal annealing, strengthening cohesion between perovskite grains.

• A sulfonium-based molecular derivative that chemically modifies the interface and significantly improves adhesion between the perovskite layer and the substrate.

These molecular building blocks—featuring sulfur, thiol, and sulfonium functional groups—form strong interactions with the perovskite lattice. Together they act like a molecular suspension system, stabilizing the structure against thermomechanical stress during repeated temperature cycling.

Performance and Stability Improvements

With this strategy, the devices achieved:

• Stabilized efficiencies of ~26% under standard solar illumination

• 84% efficiency retention after 16 extreme temperature cycles between −80 °C and +80 °C

Interestingly, the study revealed that thermal exposure time plays a more critical role than the number of cycles, with most degradation occurring during the earliest cycles. This insight guided the design of a new in-house experimental setup that enables more realistic testing conditions for space environments.

Multiscale Mechanical Characterization

To understand the mechanical behavior of the devices, we carried out adhesion and mechanical analyses across multiple length scales:

• PeakForce Atomic Force Microscopy to probe nanoscale mechanical adhesion

• Pull-off adhesion tests to quantify interfacial strength at millimeter and centimeter scales

These measurements confirmed that molecular engineering significantly enhances both grain-boundary cohesion and interfacial adhesion, two key factors controlling thermal fatigue resistance.

International Collaboration

This work was performed through collaborations with several international partners, including researchers at:

• Tianjin University

• Technical University of Munich

• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

• Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

• Marmara University

Their contributions included advanced materials characterization and theoretical analysis supporting the molecular design strategy.

Part of the ERC INPERSPACE Project

The research is part of the INPERSPACE project, funded by the European Research Council under the Horizon Europe program (Grant Agreement No. 101077006). The project aims to develop ultra-efficient and durable perovskite solar cells tailored for space applications.

Beyond the immediate results, this study establishes a general framework for addressing thermomechanical degradation in perovskite photovoltaics, highlighting the importance of strengthening mechanically vulnerable regions within multilayer solar cell stacks.

Read the Article

The article is open access and available here:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70293-7

Cem Yilmaz and Erkan Aydin are checking the cell performances with the LED solar simulator in our lab. ©Aydin Group

Cem Yilmaz and Erkan Aydin are preparing for the setup for pull-off tests in our lab. ©Aydin Group