Our recent work shows how surface hydroxylation controls the formation of SAM, strongly influencing the performance and stability of perovskite cells

April 17, 2026

Our recent work, published in Advanced Energy Materials, investigates the role of self-assembled molecular contacts (#SAM)—an approach that is increasingly becoming state of the art in perovskite solar cells—in defining interfacial properties and device performance. We show that surface hydroxylation of the substrates plays a decisive role in governing molecular coverage, which in turn strongly influences both the efficiency and long-term stability of perovskite solar cells.

In addition to device performance, our study highlights an important and often underexplored aspect of operational durability: thermal cycling-induced degradation. This is particularly relevant for applications under demanding environmental conditions, including low Earth orbit (LEO), where repeated thermal fluctuations can significantly affect interfacial integrity and device reliability. Our findings therefore provide key design guidelines for robust molecular interfaces for both terrestrial and space photovoltaic applications.

This study was led by Rik Hooijer in collaboration with the Aydin Group members (LMU Munich; Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience, CeNS), including Hao Zhu, Cem Yilmaz, Jian Huang, Ali Buyruk, Esma Ugur, and Anna S. Backeberg. Further contributions from LMU Munich were provided by Achim Hartschuh, Meriem Bouraoui, and Frédéric Laquai (Department of Chemistry and CeNS). Additional collaboration partners include Sunwoo Kim, Doyun Im, and Sangwook Lee (Kyungpook National University, KNU, Daegu, Republic of Korea), Sebastian Klenk and Georg S. Duesberg (University of the Bundeswehr Munich), Lukas Schmidt-Mende (University of Konstanz), and Clément Maheu (Nantes Université).

Peer-Reviewed Research · Advanced Energy Materials

Synthetic Surface Design of Transparent Electrodes for Enhanced Molecular Contact in Perovskite Solar Cells

R. Hooijer, S. Kim, S. Klenk, et al. — Advanced Energy Materials, 2026

A simple, solution-based ITO surface treatment strategy enables improved contact formation by simultaneously tuning surface chemistry, conductivity and homogeneity — challenging the prevailing assumption that maximizing surface hydroxylation is key for phosphonic-acid-based self-assembled monolayers.

Read Full Paper (DOI: 10.1002/aenm.70962) →

We would like to particularly acknowledge Anna S. Backeberg, who contributed to this work during a 2-month Praktikum (short research stay, typical for MSc students at LMU Munich). This reflects our group’s strong commitment to training and supporting early-career researchers through hands-on research experience.

We gratefully acknowledge support from the European Research Council (ERC), the Center for NanoScience (CeNS), and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (#LMUexcellent).

Photovoltaic Technology Update

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Targeted surface treatment improves the molecular contact and increases the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. A research team led by LMU Munich has developed a dual molecular reinforcement strategy that allows perovskite solar cells to withstand the extreme thermal cycling of Low Earth Orbit.

LMU Researchers Improve Perovskite Solar Cells

Researchers from LMU Munich present a streamlined strategy to overcome electrode interface challenges in perovskite solar cells. By optimizing the chemical and electronic properties of transparent ITO electrodes, the team achieved improved binding and uniformity of self-assembled monolayers — boosting both efficiency and long-term stability.

Researchers Improve Perovskite Solar Cells via Simple ITO Surface Treatment

A team led by LMU Munich has developed a solution-based strategy to re-engineer indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces for self-assembled monolayer contacts in perovskite solar cells. By targeting a balanced ratio of surface oxygen species rather than maximizing hydroxylation, the approach achieves more uniform molecular contacts, improved charge extraction, and enhanced device stability across both single-junction and tandem architectures.