PeroSeminar | 01 October 2026

The growing deployment of remotely operated low-power underwater monitoring devices dictates the need for a persistent energy source that enables stable operation or complements the main power supply. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) possess high potential for underwater energy supply owing to their semiconductor properties and low-cost fabrication process compared with conventional silicon solar cells. However, to overcome the direct chemical reactivity of perovskites with water, reliable encapsulation and improved electrical contact designs are critically needed. To this end, we implemented for the first time a maskless metallization using modified laser-induced chemical liquid deposition (LCLD) to produce copper-patterned substrates deposited from deep eutectic solvent (DES) for safe encapsulation of humidity-sensitive PSCs for underwater operation with power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 20%. The resulting copper electrical contacts help prevent water and air leakage into the device during underwater measurements because of their thickness of approximately 1.2 μm and roughness around 200 nm, enabling retention of 95% of PCE relative to the bare device measured under standard conditions. This approach paves the way for encapsulation of next-generation solar cells designed to operate under high-humidity and underwater environments.