How absorber chemistry shapes sustainability, stability and end-of-life options in silicon, CdTe and perovskite photovoltaics
- 1SPECIFIC IKC, Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University Swansea UK
- 2School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban South Africa
Abstract
The sustainability of photovoltaic technologies cannot be assessed independently of their absorber chemistry. In this perspective, we compare crystalline silicon (c-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe) and halide perovskites, tracing how their fundamental optoelectronic and chemical properties shape material demand, manufacturing, operational stability and end-of-life pathways. Silicon has an indirect bandgap and limited defect tolerance, which necessitate thick wafers, ultra-high-purity feedstocks and energy- and capital-intensive processing. Its chemically robust and insoluble structure supports long operational lifetimes but complicates material recovery. By contrast, the strong absorption and greater defect tolerance of CdTe and halide perovskites enable thin-film architectures, lower absorber-material requirements and potentially less intensive manufacturing and recovery processes. These advantages are accompanied by distinct challenges, including tellurium criticality and cadmium toxicity for CdTe, and limited stability and lead management for perovskites. No absorber choice is intrinsically sustainable: progress requires the coordinated optimisation of performance, durability, resource availability, manufacturing and circularity across the complete photovoltaic lifecycle.
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BibTeX
@article{valadezvillalobos2026absorber,
title = {{How absorber chemistry shapes sustainability, stability and end-of-life options in silicon, CdTe and perovskite photovoltaics}},
author = {Karen Valadez-Villalobos and Rodrigo García-Rodríguez and Rhys Charles and Matthew L. Davies},
journal = {Chemical science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1039/d6sc03126a},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13725698},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - How absorber chemistry shapes sustainability, stability and end-of-life options in silicon, CdTe and perovskite photovoltaics
AU - Karen Valadez-Villalobos
AU - Rodrigo García-Rodríguez
AU - Rhys Charles
AU - Matthew L. Davies
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - Chemical science
DO - 10.1039/d6sc03126a
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13725698
AB - The sustainability of photovoltaic technologies cannot be assessed independently of their absorber chemistry. In this perspective, we compare crystalline silicon (c-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe) and halide perovskites, tracing how their fundamental optoelectronic and chemical properties shape material demand, manufacturing, operational stability and end-of-life pathways. Silicon has an indirect bandgap and limited defect tolerance, which necessitate thick wafers, ultra-high-purity feedstocks and energy- and capital-intensive processing. Its chemically robust and insoluble structure supports long operational lifetimes but complicates material recovery. By contrast, the strong absorption and greater defect tolerance of CdTe and halide perovskites enable thin-film architectures, lower absorber-material requirements and potentially less intensive manufacturing and recovery processes. These advantages are accompanied by distinct challenges, including tellurium criticality and cadmium toxicity for CdTe, and limited stability and lead management for perovskites. No absorber choice is intrinsically sustainable: progress requires the coordinated optimisation of performance, durability, resource availability, manufacturing and circularity across the complete photovoltaic lifecycle.
SN - 2041-6520
SN - 2041-6539
ER -