Perovskite Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Current Status and Future Outlook

Metal halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) not only share the common feature of quantum confinement effect found in traditional quantum dots but also exhibit favorable characteristics of perovskite materials, including defect tolerance and long exciton lifetime. Thanks to these merits, within ten years of research and development, perovskite quantum dot-based solar cells (PQDSCs) have attained a certified power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.1%, which is, however, still far below those of the market-dominant silicon solar cells and the bulk thin-film perovskite counterparts. In this Focus Review, we analyze the state-of-the-art in the development of PQDSCs and propose innovative strategies in surface management, compositional control, and band-alignment design. The potential of utilizing PQDs' multiple exciton generation feature is further discussed with the good hope of improving the PCE beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit.