AI Supercharges Perovskite Solar Innovation: Peking University Develops Rapid Screening Model for Next-Gen PV Materials

A cutting-edge study by researchers at Peking University and Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School has opened new frontiers in solar R&D by using artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery of high-performance halide perovskite materials for photovoltaics. Published in Materials Futures (DOI: 10.1088/2752-5724/adeead), the study introduces a machine learning (ML) model that accurately predicts bandgap, conduction band minimum (CBM), and valence band maximum (VBM)—the three most critical electronic parameters determining solar cell efficiency and performance.

The research directly addresses a key bottleneck in perovskite PV development: the need for faster, cost-effective identification of stable, lead-free, and high-efficiency materials. Traditionally, such screening has relied on high-throughput experimentation or density functional theory (DFT) simulations—both laborious and energy-intensive. The team’s ML approach, led by Yucheng Ye, Runyi Li, and Bo Qu, achieved strong predictive performance (R² > 0.80, MAE < 0.29 eV) across thousands of halide perovskite candidates.

Of particular value to solar technologists, the model applies to both inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites, offering broad utility across research pipelines. Using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), the team also decoded the key chemical and structural features that influence band alignment—critical for designing high-efficiency tandem and multi-junction architectures.

This work provides practical tools for PV labs aiming to improve spectral absorption, minimize recombination losses, and boost cell voltages. As tandem efficiencies now approach 30%, this AI-driven discovery strategy is poised to accelerate commercial readiness of next-gen perovskite modules.