Perovskite solar: sunlight contracts space between 2D atomic layers boosting photovoltaic efficiency by up to 18%; cells stand up to environment

https://news.rice.edu/news/2021/ultrathin-solar-cells-get-boost

"Perovskites... are highly efficient light harvesters... but sunlight and moisture degrade them... In contrast, 2D perovskites have tremendous stability but are not efficient... big issue has been to make them efficient without compromising the stability... as you light the material, you kind of squeeze it like a sponge and bring the layers together to enhance the charge transport in that direction... placing a layer of organic cations between the iodide on top and lead on the bottom enhanced interactions between the layers"