The electrification of society is an essential component of the effort to achieve a fossil-free world, where solar cells will play a central role in the future energy system. The advancement of photovoltaics should be aligned with principles of the circular economy. In the last years, lead halide perovskites have risen as a leading candidate for third-generation solar cells, experiencing rapid advancement. However, the manufacturing of commercial products inevitably generates significant waste and end-of-life devices, leading to potentially severe environmental repercussions. To tackle this challenge, proactive research and development of recycling and recovery technologies for perovskite solar cells are very necessary. Here we introduce a proof of concept, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first AI-guided method designed to predict the optimal recycling treatment for perovskite solar cells and the first construction of a perovskite recycling dataset. Using sentiment analysis language processing for the first time, we achieved up to 70% accuracy in predicting the correct action for a given device structure. This innovative approach opens up new possibilities for applying sentiment analysis as a tool for e-waste recycling.

Controlled release systems have gained considerable attention owing to their potential to deliver molecules, including ions and drugs, in a customized manner. We present a light-induced ion-transfer platform consisting of a dispersion of nanoparticles (NPs, ~300 nm) with the conductive polymer poly(3-octylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (POT) in the core and a potassium (K+)-selective membrane in the shell. Owing to the photoactive nature of POT, POT NPs can be used for a dual purpose: as a host for positively charged species and as an actuator to trigger the subsequent release. POT0 and doped POT+ coexist in the core, allowing K+ encapsulation in the shell. As POT0 is photo-oxidized to POT+, K+ is released to the (aqueous) dispersion phase to preserve the neutrality of the NPs. This process is reversible and can be simultaneously assessed using the native fluorescence of POT0 and via potentiometric measurements. The NP structure and its mechanism of action were thoroughly studied with a series of control experiments and complementary techniques. Understanding the NP and its surrounding interactions will pave the way for other nanostructured systems, facilitating sophisticated applications. The delivery of ionic drugs and interference/pollutant catching for advanced sensing/restoration will be considered in future research.