Perovskite solar cells are often called the future of solar energy.
They are lightweight, flexible, highly efficient, and cheaper to manufacture than traditional silicon solar panels.
Because they can bend and be made into thin films, they could one day power wearable devices, portable electronics, and even windows and building materials that generate electricity.
But these promising solar cells have one major problem: they contain lead.
Lead is a toxic metal that can harm people and the environment if it leaks from damaged or discarded solar devices.
As perovskite solar cells move closer to large-scale commercial use, scientists are increasingly concerned about what will happen when millions of these devices reach the end of their lives.
Now, researchers at Kanazawa University have developed a simple recycling method that could solve this problem.
Their new technique can recover almost all of the lead from used flexible perovskite solar cells while also collecting valuable metals that would otherwise be wasted.
The study, published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, was led by Associate Professor Md. Shahiduzzaman and Professor Tetsuya Taima.
The team created a one-step recycling process that uses a low-concentration acid treatment together with special separation methods. This process allows toxic lead and other important metals to be removed from discarded solar cells efficiently.
The results were impressive. The new method recovered 99.7% of the lead contained in the solar cells. It also recovered 91.6% of the gold and 100% of the indium.
Gold and indium are valuable materials used in many electronic devices and energy technologies. Recovering these metals not only reduces waste but also decreases the need to mine new resources, which can be expensive and environmentally damaging.
The researchers say the process works on both new and aged devices. It also produces very little secondary waste, making it a practical option for large-scale recycling in the future.
According to Shahiduzzaman, the goal was to develop a recycling strategy that could safely remove toxic lead while also recovering valuable metals from old flexible perovskite solar cells and modules.
As the technology becomes more widely used, recycling will become increasingly important. Without proper recycling systems, discarded solar cells could create environmental risks and waste valuable materials.
The researchers believe their new approach could help create a circular economy for perovskite solar technologies. In a circular economy, products are designed so their materials can be recovered and reused instead of being thrown away.
By turning old solar cells into a source of reusable materials, this recycling method could help make the next generation of solar energy cleaner, safer, and more sustainable.
