Systematic evaluation of the biotoxicity of Pb-based perovskite materials and perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Despite the rapid development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in recent years, the poor stability and Pb toxicity limit their commercialization. In this study, the widely applied perovskite material FAPbI₃ was used to systematically investigate the toxicity effects of perovskite-related materials (PbI₂, FAI, FAPbI₃) and the as-prepared PSCs on plants, cells, and animals using Arabidopsis, mouse chondrocytes, radish, and zebrafish as research objects via solubility tests, Pb content tests and cytotoxicity tests. The results showed that the Pb concentration in zebrafish gradually increased with the increasing concentrations of Pb-containing perovskite materials, causing reduced survival rate, deformity, and Pb accumulation. Further studies found that the Pb absorption capacity of plants planted with FAPbI₃ is higher than plants planted with only PbI₂, which was attributed to the reduced environmental pH of FA⁺. Finally, although encapsulation is effective in stopping Pb leakage, the intrinsic toxicity of UV adhesive needs to be considered, necessitating research on effective methods to prevent Pb contamination. This study has important implications for evaluating the ecological impacts and risks of perovskite materials and PSCs.