Constructing Bionic Perovskite Smart Photovoltaic Windows with Switchable Colors and High Cycling Stability

Smart photovoltaic windows (SPWs) provide a high-efficiency and energy-saving strategy owing to the dual capabilities of electricity generation and sunlight modulation achieved by tunable colors and transmittances. Due to the deterioration of chromic process on photovoltaic layers, SPWs usually suffer from poor cycling stability. Moreover, thermochromic SPWs with a multilayer structure usually change transmittance without reversible color transitions. To address these issues, inspired by chameleon skin, bionic SPWs are designed and constructed by integrating hydrogel, CsPbBr₃ semitransparent perovskite solar cells (ST-PSCs), and transparent polymer film. The SPWs realize reversible transitions between transparent green (25 °C) and opaque yellow (45 °C) states in a short duration (2 min) under natural conditions. By optimizing perovskite film and ultrathin-metal electrodes, CsPbBr₃ ST-PSCs achieve a good trade-off between transmittance and efficiency, delivering the highest photovoltaic efficiency (8.35%) and a record light utilization efficiency (4.43). Ultimately, the multilayer SPWs maintain stable optical properties and more than 88% initial conversion efficiency after 100 transition cycles, presenting excellent cycling stability. This study proposes a novel approach and device structure for SPWs with high cycling stability, switchable colors, and switchable transmittances. It also paves the way for smart photovoltaic deployment in buildings and many other fields.