Under a Blooming Magnolia: How Russian and Chinese Scientists Create Solar Cells of the Future

Photo taken on October 25, 2024, at the Summer Palace / Andrey Vasenko

Schola continues to introduce the winners of the International Academic Cooperation competition. In today's issue, Professor Andrey Vasenko, Deputy Head of the Scientific and Educational Laboratory of Quantum Nanoelectronics at Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM), speaks about the joint project between his laboratory and the Peking University research team— ‘Engineering of highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells.’

— How did the idea for this project come about?

Our joint project with the Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Energy Devices at Peking University’s School of Materials Science and Engineering is titled ‘Engineering of highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells.’ The project was launched thanks to a Russian–Greek grant from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, received by the Head of the Quantum Nanoelectronics Laboratory, Konstantin Arutyunov. This initial collaboration was later expanded through joint work with research groups from many countries.

One of our group’s key focus areas is studying new solar energy materials—perovskites, transition metal oxides and dichalcogenides, as well as other promising materials and heterostructures. We have proposed and implemented a new interdisciplinary approach that combines supercomputer modelling, quantum dynamics methods, and machine learning algorithms.

We are very fortunate at HSE to have access to its cHARISMa supercomputer, one of the best in Russia

In parallel, cooperation with our Chinese colleagues was developing. Today, China holds a leading position in this field, both in research and the industrial implementation of perovskite solar cells.

In October 2024, I visited China for the first time as a member of the MIEM delegation. At Peking University, we were met by Professor Jian Liu from the College Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, a prominent theorist in computational quantum chemistry. He arranged an extended meeting with representatives of other colleges and research groups. It was there that I became acquainted with Professor Huanping Zhou, Vice Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering. I was greatly impressed by her presentation on the development of perovskite solar cells.

Professor Jian Liu of Peking University with Professor Andrey Vasenko of MIEM. October 24, 2024

During the discussion, it became clear how complementary the approaches of our laboratories were and how promising a joint project could be.

By that time, I had already participated in the first International Academic Cooperation competition, but our initial application was not successful. Meeting Professor Zhou inspired a new attempt, this time with a more clearly defined idea based on the complementary nature of our research groups' studies. Having secured Huanping Zhou's support, we began preparing a joint application in the late autumn of 2024.

Huanping Zhou, Vice Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Peking University, talks about her scientific laboratory. October 24, 2024

In April 2025, we also applied for the Russian Science Foundation's competition for projects in cooperation with China.

Our second project focuses on implementing flexible perovskite solar cell architectures for space applications.

Professor Huanping Zhou's research group.

Photo from the website of the Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Energy Devices of the Peking University School of Materials Science and Engineering

Our project marked the beginning of a partnership between HSE and Peking University. The first framework agreement was signed on March 28, 2025, during Rector Nikita Anisimov's visit to Beijing. I was part of the rector's delegation. We arrived in Beijing at a wonderful time; the ancient Peking University campus greeted us with flowers and birdsong.

Peking University President Gong Qihuang proposed signing the agreement with HSE University under a blooming magnolia tree in the garden, comparing its flowering to the beginning of a new stage of Russian–Chinese scientific cooperation.

This story continued on May 8 of this year, when the rector of Peking University arrived in Moscow as part of an official delegation accompanying Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the visit, a new scientific agreement was signed between our universities in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Signing of a scientific agreement between HSE and Peking University. May 8, 2025, Moscow, Kremlin

Subsequently, an expanded delegation from Peking University, led by its Vice President and Chancellor of the Shenzhen Graduate School, Zhang Jin, visited HSE University in Moscow. During the regular visit of Nikita Anisimov's delegation to Peking University on September 2, a third agreement was signed—this time concerning student and staff exchange. The cooperation we initiated is now developing dynamically across different HSE faculties.

In October, Konstantin Arutyunov and I travelled to China again. We discussed the scientific aspects of our collaboration and plans for student exchange. We had the opportunity to visit Professor Huanping Zhou's experimental laboratories in Beijing. Afterwards, we proceeded to Fudan University in Shanghai to meet with Professor Weibin Chu's theoretical group. As a world-leading expert in the supercomputer modelling of materials, Professor Chu is another key partner we plan to work with as part of our project.

— What are the main objectives of the project? What key advantages do perovskite solar cells offer compared to traditional solar panels?

— Our project pursues an ambitious goal—to advance the development of stable and efficient perovskite solar cells. Perovskites are semiconductor materials of a specific crystal structure capable of converting solar energy into electric current. Perovskite was discovered in the Ural Mountains in the middle of the 19^th century and named after Lev Perovsky, a Russian statesman and mineral collector. Today, the term ‘perovskite’ refers not to the natural mineral but to synthetic semiconductors sharing the same structure.

Perovskites attract global scientific interest because they can surpass traditional silicon in many ways. First, they are easier and cheaper to produce. Second, they are lighter and thinner, a critical advantage for spacecraft construction. Perovskites also perform well in diffused light and can be applied to flexible surfaces, making them ideal for installation not only on rooftops but also on drones, vehicles, and satellites.

Perovskite solar cells created in Professor Alexey Tarasov's laboratory. Faculty of Materials Sciences, Lomonosov Moscow State University

Photo taken by Andrey Vasenko during a visit to the laboratory on June 17, 2024

Despite their impressive properties, today’s perovskite solar cells have serious flaws. One of the key challenges is material instability; the structure deteriorates over time due to moisture, oxygen, heat, and even light.

Our project focuses on solving a fundamental problem—the sensitivity of perovskites to internal defects and structural inhomogeneities

We model the emergence and evolution of these defects—from point irregularities in the crystal lattice to grain boundaries—using density functional theory, non-adiabatic molecular dynamics, and machine learning.

Special attention is paid to the interfaces between the perovskite layer and the charge transport layers within a solar cell. Specific interfacial defects often occur here, critically impacting the cell’s efficiency and long-term stability. The passivation of such defects is the central objective of our theoretical research. The Russian team also plans experimental studies on perovskite cell efficiency at various temperatures and the thermal compatibility of cell layers, including under the extreme conditions typical for space applications. These experiments are scheduled to be conducted in Konstantin Arutyunov's laboratory.

— How is the cooperation between HSE and Peking University teams organised?

— Our cooperation is founded on the principle of research complementarity. Leveraging the cHARISMa supercomputer and advanced computational modelling methods, the Russian team focuses on theoretical research: analysing crystal lattice defects, modelling perovskite degradation processes, and developing passivation strategies.

cHARISMa supercomputer

Photo from the website of the HSE Supercomputer Modelling Unit

Concurrently, the Peking University group, led by Professor Huanping Zhou, conducts large-scale engineering work—from improving perovskite film deposition technologies to developing industrial passivation methods—thereby translating laboratory discoveries into applied technical solutions.

Russian and Chinese researchers maintain constant communication. Regular online meetings, joint publications, and data exchange ensure their work remains aligned. A joint Russian–Chinese patent, which will formalise the results of a three-year research cycle, is one of the project’s key anticipated outcomes. In addition to the scientific component, the project includes several educational initiatives; summer schools, conferences, and student and staff exchanges are also planned.

— What results do you expect to achieve? How will the project’s success be measured?

— Scientifically, we expect to achieve both fundamental and applied results. The fundamental research will provide an in-depth study of the degradation mechanisms in perovskite materials caused by external factors and internal defects. It will also involve developing new computational models to predict structural stability and researching the dynamics of ion migration and its impact on long-term cell stability. The applied research focuses on optimising solar cell composition and architecture, developing industrial defect passivation methods, and testing the cells under extreme conditions, including those relevant for space applications.

Another key result will be the establishment of a stable computational materials science research group within our laboratory.

MIEM doctoral student Mikhail Samatov with another project participant, MIEM Associate Professor of International Recruitment Liu Dongyu at the second Russian–Chinese symposium on chemistry and materials at Skoltech. May 30, 2024

Peking University is actively involved in developing our early-career researchers. A group of five MIEM students and doctoral candidates took part in a summer school on quantum molecular dynamics of materials at Peking University from July 18 to 21 this year, organised by Professor Jian Liu. The students also presented their work at a scientific seminar as part of Professor Huanping Zhou's group.

We will evaluate the project’s success based on several key parameters. The primary indicators will be a series of publications in major scientific journals and the preparation of a draft application for a joint Russian–Chinese patent by the third year to register the developed technologies. We also pay special attention to the educational component—training a new generation of specialists.

— What are the prospects for further development of your project? Does it have commercialisation potential?

— We envisage several development paths for our project. First, we plan to expand cooperation with leading scientific groups in China, where the world's most advanced research on perovskite materials is concentrated.

At the same time, we are actively establishing links with Russian experimental laboratories working in solar energy. Preliminary negotiations with several scientific organisations are underway, and we hope these contacts will soon evolve into full-fledged joint projects.

Regarding commercialisation, we are approaching this task carefully. As a group specialising in theoretical research and computer modelling, we understand that the journey from fundamental results to practical implementation takes time and requires a robust experimental foundation. In the first stage, it is essential to strengthen our scientific school, expand the team, and establish sustainable cooperation with Russian experimental laboratories. Only after creating this foundation can we seriously discuss the commercial potential of our developments. Nevertheless, our research already holds practical value. The computer-aided design and analysis methods for perovskite materials that we are developing are forming the basis of future technological solutions.