Linköping University researchers discovered that perovskite LEDs have great long-term commercial potential. Given their lower costs and less detrimental effects on the environment, they might even be able to replace today's LEDs. The study was published in Nature Sustainability.
"If a product has high technical performance but is expensive and isn’t environmentally sustainable, it may not be highly competitive in the market", says Muyi Zhang, Phd student at IFM. Image Credit: Olov Planthaber
The three most crucial factors for a new kind of LED technology to have a significant commercial impact on society are cost, technical performance, and environmental impact.
Perovskite LEDs are cheaper and easier to manufacture than traditional LEDs, and they can also produce vibrant and intense colors if used in screens. I’d say that this is the next generation of LED technology.
Feng Gao, Professor, Optoelectronics, Linköping University
However, more than technical performance is needed for a technological revolution, in which LEDs based on perovskite replace those currently in use.
For this reason, Feng Gao's research team has partnered with LiU Assistant Professor John Laurence Esguerra and Professor Olof Hjelm. Their area of expertise is bringing ideas that promote environmental sustainability to the market.
Together, they have examined the cost and environmental effects of 18 distinct perovskite LEDs, providing information that is now lacking. The study used techno-economic and so-called life cycle assessments.
Gold Production is Toxic
A precise system definition, or what is and is not included in terms of cost and environmental impact, is necessary for such studies. What transpires after the product is created until it is no longer usable is examined within this framework. Production of raw materials, manufacture, distribution, use, and decommissioning are the five stages of a product's life cycle, from conception to death.
“We’d like to avoid the grave. And things get more complicated when you take recycling into account. But here we show that it’s most important to think about the reuse of organic solvents and how raw materials are produced, especially if they are rare materials,” says Olof Hjelm.
The tiny quantity of hazardous lead present in perovskite LEDs is one instance where the life cycle analysis offers direction.
At the moment, this is required for the perovskites to function. Olof Hjelm, however, believes that concentrating just on lead is a mistake. LEDs are made of various materials, including gold.
“Gold production is extremely toxic. There are byproducts such as mercury and cyanide. It’s also very energy-consuming,” said Olof Hjelm.
Substituting copper, aluminum, or nickel for gold would have the biggest environmental impact while preserving the tiny quantity of lead required for the LED to operate at its best.
Great Potential
The researchers conclude that perovskite LEDs hold significant long-term commercial potential and could eventually replace conventional LEDs due to their lower costs and reduced environmental impact. However, longevity remains a key challenge.
Despite this, advancements in perovskite LED technology are progressing rapidly, with their lifespan steadily improving. The researchers estimate that a lifespan of approximately 10,000 hours is necessary for a positive environmental impact—an achievable goal. Currently, the best perovskite LEDs last for only a few hundred hours.
According to Muyi Zhang, a PhD Candidate in LiU's Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, much of current research has been focused on improving LEDs' technical performance, but Zhang thinks this will change.
We want what we develop to be used in the real world. But then, we as researchers need to broaden our perspective. If a product has high technical performance but is expensive and isn’t environmentally sustainable, it may not be highly competitive in the market. That mindset will increasingly come to guide our research.
Muyi Zhang, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Linköping University
The Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Energy Agency, the Olle Enqvist Foundation, the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Center in Nano Science and Technology at LiU, and the Swedish Government's Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Advanced Functional Materials, or AFM, at LiU were among the organizations that provided funding for the study.
Journal Reference:
Zhang, M., et al. (2025) Towards sustainable perovskite light-emitting diodes. Nature Sustainability. doi.org/10.1038/s41893-024-01503-7