Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells

Jiarong Jiarong Wang (王佳绒); null Xian-Yin Dai (代现银); Leyu Leyu Bi (毕乐雨); null Jiaonan Sun (孙娇囡); null Ming Liu (刘铭); null Xiaofei Ji (冀晓霏); null Francis R. Lin (林均叡); null Qiang Fu (付强); Alex Alex K.-Y. Jen (任广禹)

doi:10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105

Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells

Jiarong Wang (王佳绒) (Co-first Author), Xian-Yin Dai (代现银) (Co-first Author), Leyu Bi (毕乐雨), Jiaonan Sun (孙娇囡), Ming Liu (刘铭), Xiaofei Ji (冀晓霏), Francis R. Lin (林均叡), Qiang Fu (付强)^*, Alex K.-Y. Jen (任广禹)^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) suffer from instability due to light- and heat-induced degradation, where iodine (I₂) escape and lead (Pb⁰) aggregation trigger irreversible device failure. Here, we developed a multifunctional β-cyclodextrin derivative of β-CD-(SH)₇ that synergistically enables iodine confinement, lead chelation, and redox cycling. The β-CD cavity traps I₂ via supramolecular interaction, while thiol groups reduce I₂ to I⁻ and oxidize Pb⁰ to Pb²⁺ via dynamic S–S bond formation, enabling self-sustained I⁻ regeneration. β-CD-(SH)₇ enables an efficiency of 26.14% for inverted PSCs and 23.48% for mini-modules with an active area of 11 cm². Wide-band-gap PSCs (1.80 eV) achieve an efficiency of 20.56%. The devices exhibit exceptional stability, with T₉₈ > 2,780 h (1.55 eV) and T₉₀ > 1,900 h (1.80 eV) under maximum power point tracking at 45°C. Additionally, β-CD-(SH)₇ captures lead to prevent leakage. This universal supramolecular strategy reconciles efficiency, stability, and sustainability, offering transformative potential for PSC commercialization. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.

Original language	English
Article number	102105
Number of pages	12
Journal	Joule
Volume	9
Issue number	10
Online published	3 Sept 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105
Publication status	Published - 15 Oct 2025

Funding

A.K.-Y.J. thanks the sponsorship of the Lee Shau-Kee Chair Professor (Materials Science), and the support from the APRC grants (9380086, 9610419, 9610440, 9610492, and 9610508) of the City University of Hong Kong, the MHKJFS grant (MHP/054/23), TCFS grant (GHP/121/22SZ and GHP/018/20SZ), and MRP Grant (MRP/040/21X) from the Innovation and Technology Commission of Hong Kong, the Green Tech Fund (202020164) from the Environment and Ecology Bureau of Hong Kong, the GRF grants (11304424, 11307621 and 11316422) and CRS grants (CRS_CityU104/23 and CRS_HKUST203/23) from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong. X.-Y.D. thanks to the sponsorship of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22301166) and Taishan Scholars Program (tsqn202408247).

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Research Keywords

perovskite solar cells
redox cycling
stability
supramolecular
sustainability

RGC Funding Information

RGC-funded

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10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105Licence: Elsevier user license

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Cite this

Jiarong Wang (王佳绒), Xian-Yin Dai (代现银), Leyu Bi (毕乐雨), Jiaonan Sun (孙娇囡), Ming Liu (刘铭), Xiaofei Ji (冀晓霏), Francis R. Lin (林均叡), Qiang Fu (付强), & Alex K.-Y. Jen (任广禹) (2025). Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells. Joule, 9(10), Article 102105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105

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title = "Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells",

abstract = "Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) suffer from instability due to light- and heat-induced degradation, where iodine (I2) escape and lead (Pb0) aggregation trigger irreversible device failure. Here, we developed a multifunctional β-cyclodextrin derivative of β-CD-(SH)7 that synergistically enables iodine confinement, lead chelation, and redox cycling. The β-CD cavity traps I2 via supramolecular interaction, while thiol groups reduce I2 to I− and oxidize Pb0 to Pb2+ via dynamic S–S bond formation, enabling self-sustained I− regeneration. β-CD-(SH)7 enables an efficiency of 26.14% for inverted PSCs and 23.48% for mini-modules with an active area of 11 cm². Wide-band-gap PSCs (1.80 eV) achieve an efficiency of 20.56%. The devices exhibit exceptional stability, with T98 > 2,780 h (1.55 eV) and T90 > 1,900 h (1.80 eV) under maximum power point tracking at 45°C. Additionally, β-CD-(SH)7 captures lead to prevent leakage. This universal supramolecular strategy reconciles efficiency, stability, and sustainability, offering transformative potential for PSC commercialization. {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Inc.",

keywords = "perovskite solar cells, redox cycling, stability, supramolecular, sustainability",

author = "{Jiarong Wang (王佳绒)} and {Xian-Yin Dai (代现银)} and {Leyu Bi (毕乐雨)} and {Jiaonan Sun (孙娇囡)} and {Ming Liu (刘铭)} and {Xiaofei Ji (冀晓霏)} and {Francis R. Lin (林均叡)} and {Qiang Fu (付强)} and {Alex K.-Y. Jen (任广禹)}",

year = "2025",

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day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105",

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Jiarong Wang (王佳绒), Xian-Yin Dai (代现银), , Leyu Bi (毕乐雨), Jiaonan Sun (孙娇囡), Ming Liu (刘铭), Xiaofei Ji (冀晓霏), Francis R. Lin (林均叡), Qiang Fu (付强), & Alex K.-Y. Jen (任广禹) 2025, 'Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells', Joule, vol. 9, no. 10, 102105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105

Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells. / Jiarong Wang (王佳绒) (Co-first Author); Xian-Yin Dai (代现银) (Co-first Author); Leyu Bi (毕乐雨) et al.
In: Joule, Vol. 9, No. 10, 102105, 15.10.2025.

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells

AU - Jiarong Wang (王佳绒), null

AU - Xian-Yin Dai (代现银), null

AU - Leyu Bi (毕乐雨), null

AU - Jiaonan Sun (孙娇囡), null

AU - Ming Liu (刘铭), null

AU - Xiaofei Ji (冀晓霏), null

AU - Francis R. Lin (林均叡), null

AU - Qiang Fu (付强), null

AU - Alex K.-Y. Jen (任广禹), null

PY - 2025/10/15

Y1 - 2025/10/15

N2 - Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) suffer from instability due to light- and heat-induced degradation, where iodine (I2) escape and lead (Pb0) aggregation trigger irreversible device failure. Here, we developed a multifunctional β-cyclodextrin derivative of β-CD-(SH)7 that synergistically enables iodine confinement, lead chelation, and redox cycling. The β-CD cavity traps I2 via supramolecular interaction, while thiol groups reduce I2 to I− and oxidize Pb0 to Pb2+ via dynamic S–S bond formation, enabling self-sustained I− regeneration. β-CD-(SH)7 enables an efficiency of 26.14% for inverted PSCs and 23.48% for mini-modules with an active area of 11 cm². Wide-band-gap PSCs (1.80 eV) achieve an efficiency of 20.56%. The devices exhibit exceptional stability, with T98 > 2,780 h (1.55 eV) and T90 > 1,900 h (1.80 eV) under maximum power point tracking at 45°C. Additionally, β-CD-(SH)7 captures lead to prevent leakage. This universal supramolecular strategy reconciles efficiency, stability, and sustainability, offering transformative potential for PSC commercialization. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.

AB - Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) suffer from instability due to light- and heat-induced degradation, where iodine (I2) escape and lead (Pb0) aggregation trigger irreversible device failure. Here, we developed a multifunctional β-cyclodextrin derivative of β-CD-(SH)7 that synergistically enables iodine confinement, lead chelation, and redox cycling. The β-CD cavity traps I2 via supramolecular interaction, while thiol groups reduce I2 to I− and oxidize Pb0 to Pb2+ via dynamic S–S bond formation, enabling self-sustained I− regeneration. β-CD-(SH)7 enables an efficiency of 26.14% for inverted PSCs and 23.48% for mini-modules with an active area of 11 cm². Wide-band-gap PSCs (1.80 eV) achieve an efficiency of 20.56%. The devices exhibit exceptional stability, with T98 > 2,780 h (1.55 eV) and T90 > 1,900 h (1.80 eV) under maximum power point tracking at 45°C. Additionally, β-CD-(SH)7 captures lead to prevent leakage. This universal supramolecular strategy reconciles efficiency, stability, and sustainability, offering transformative potential for PSC commercialization. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.

KW - perovskite solar cells

KW - redox cycling

KW - stability

KW - supramolecular

KW - sustainability

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U2 - 10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105

DO - 10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 2542-4351

VL - 9

JO - Joule

JF - Joule

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M1 - 102105

ER -

Jiarong Wang (王佳绒), Xian-Yin Dai (代现银) , Leyu Bi (毕乐雨), Jiaonan Sun (孙娇囡), Ming Liu (刘铭), Xiaofei Ji (冀晓霏) et al. Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells. Joule. 2025 Oct 15;9(10):102105. Epub 2025 Sept 3. doi: 10.1016/j.joule.2025.102105

Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

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GRF: Development of Multifunctional Redox Mediators to Mitigate Halide Segregation in Wide-Bandgap Perovskites for Perovskite Based Tandem Solar Cells

ITF: Innovative Technology and Critical Materials for Developing Flexible Tandem Solar Cells with Ultra-high Specific Power

FR/HKJRS: Development of Effective Light-Responsive Nanoplatforms for Cancer Therapy

Cite this

Synergistic iodine and lead chelation with redox cycling via supramolecular engineering for stable and sustainable perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Research Keywords

RGC Funding Information

Access Output

Other Access Options

Permanent Link

Other Files and Links

Fingerprint

Projects

GRF: Development of Multifunctional Redox Mediators to Mitigate Halide Segregation in Wide-Bandgap Perovskites for Perovskite Based Tandem Solar Cells

ITF: Innovative Technology and Critical Materials for Developing Flexible Tandem Solar Cells with Ultra-high Specific Power

FR/HKJRS: Development of Effective Light-Responsive Nanoplatforms for Cancer Therapy

Cite this