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Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cell Enables Graded Utilization of Full Solar Spectrum beyond the Photovoltaic S-Q Limit via Hybrid Photovoltaics–Photothermal Conversion

  • Kai Zhang 1,2,†,   
  • Chi Zhang 3,†,   
  • Zedong Lin 4,†,   
  • Changqing Lin 1,2,   
  • Xiaozhen Wei 1,2,5,   
  • Min Ju 3,   
  • Chunyu Lv 1,2,5,   
  • Haining Chen 5,   
  • Zhenhai Yang 6,   
  • Jian Wang 3,*,   
  • Weibiao Zhong 1,2,   
  • Qifeng Lin 1,2,   
  • Yi He 1,2,   
  • Shihe Yang 1,2,*

Received: 06 Dec 2025 | Revised: 27 Jan 2026 | Accepted: 25 Feb 2026 | Published: 09 Mar 2026

Abstract

The energy conversion efficiency of a single-junction photovoltaic device is mainly constrained by its bandgap setting a theoretical upper bound known as Shockley-Queisser (S-Q) limit. In this work, carbon-based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) are harnessed to transcend the S-Q limit through a synergistic integration of photovoltaic and photothermal conversion for water splitting: the above-bandgap photons are converted into electrical energy, while the below-bandgap photons are all transformed into thermal energy through the carbon composite electrode. Correlative investigations into photovoltaic performance under varying solar driven heat-accumulation conditions, irradiance spectra, and incident light intensity reveal that C-PSCs exhibit lower temperature coefficients and higher full-spectrum solar energy utilization than conventional silicon cells. Furthermore, we calculated the S-Q efficiency limits under varying temperatures, irradiation spectra, and bandgap configurations, thereby offering critical insights for optimizing graded utilization of full solar spectrum. By integrating C-PSCs with water-splitting electrolytic cells, a graded utilization of full solar spectrum through both photovoltaic and photothermal conversion within the single-junction device is achieved. This integration elevates the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency from 11.30% to 12.98%, representing an enhancement of 14.86%, and achieves a remarkable STH-to-power conversion efficiency (PCE) ratio of up to 71.0%, highlighting its profound transformative potential.

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Zhang, K.; Zhang, C.; Lin, Z.; Lin, C.; Wei, X.; Ju, M.; Lv, C.; Chen, H.; Yang, Z.; Wang, J.; Zhong, W.; Lin, Q.; He, Y.; Yang, S. Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cell Enables Graded Utilization of Full Solar Spectrum beyond the Photovoltaic S-Q Limit via Hybrid Photovoltaics–Photothermal Conversion. Materials Matter 2026, 1 (1), 2.
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