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Wen Y, Zhang T, Wang X, Liu T, Wang Y, Zhang R, Kan M, Wan L, Ning W, Wang Y, Yang D. Amorphous (lysine) 2PbI 2 layer enhanced perovskite photovoltaics. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7085. [PMID: 39154032 PMCID: PMC11330473 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51551-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Passivation materials play a crucial role in a wide range of high-efficiency, high-stability photovoltaic applications based on crystalline silicon and state-of-the-art perovskite materials. Currently, for perovskite photovoltaic, the mainstream passivation strategies routinely rely on crystalline materials. Herein, we have invented a new amorphous (lysine)2PbI2 layer-enhanced halide perovskite. By utilizing a solid phase reaction between PbI2 and lysine molecule, an amorphous (lysine)2PbI2 layer is formed at surface/grain boundaries in the perovskite films. The amorphous (lysine)2PbI2 with fewer dangling bonds can effectively neutralize surface/interface defects, achieving an impressive efficiency of 26.27% (certified 25.94%). Moreover, this amorphous layer not only reduces crystal lattice stress but also functions as a barrier against the decomposition of organic components, leading to suppressed de-structuring of perovskite and highly stable perovskite solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehui Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon and Advanced Semiconductor Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, P. R. China
| | - Tianchi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon and Advanced Semiconductor Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, P. R. China
| | - Xingtao Wang
- Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Tiantian Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, P. R. China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Miao Kan
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Li Wan
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany
| | - Weihua Ning
- Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, P. R. China.
| | - Yong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon and Advanced Semiconductor Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
| | - Deren Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon and Advanced Semiconductor Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
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2
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Glück N, Hill NS, Giza M, Hutter E, Grill I, Schlipf J, Bach U, Müller-Buschbaum P, Hartschuh A, Bein T, Savenije T, Docampo P. The balancing act between high electronic and low ionic transport influenced by perovskite grain boundaries. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. A 2024; 12:11635-11643. [PMID: 38751728 PMCID: PMC11093097 DOI: 10.1039/d3ta04458k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
A better understanding of the materials' fundamental physical processes is necessary to push hybrid perovskite photovoltaic devices towards their theoretical limits. The role of the perovskite grain boundaries is essential to optimise the system thoroughly. The influence of the perovskite grain size and crystal orientation on physical properties and their resulting photovoltaic performance is examined. We develop a novel, straightforward synthesis approach that yields crystals of a similar size but allows the tuning of their orientation to either the (200) or (002) facet alignment parallel to the substrate by manipulating dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and tetrahydrothiophene-1-oxide (THTO) ratios. This decouples crystal orientation from grain size, allowing the study of charge carrier mobility, found to be improved with larger grain sizes, highlighting the importance of minimising crystal disorder to achieve efficient devices. However, devices incorporating crystals with the (200) facet exhibit an s-shape in the current density-voltage curve when standard scan rates are used, which typically signals an energetic interfacial barrier. Using the drift-diffusion simulations, we attribute this to slower-moving ions (mobility of 0.37 × 10-10 cm2 V-1 s-1) in combination with a lower density of mobile ions. This counterintuitive result highlights that reducing ion migration does not necessarily minimise hysteresis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Glück
- Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), University of Munich (LMU) Butenandtstr. 5-13 81377 München Germany
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University Clayton Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Nathan S Hill
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, Newcastle University Herschel Building Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU UK
| | - Marcin Giza
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, University Pl Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Eline Hutter
- Optoelectronic Materials Section, Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology Julianalaan 136 2628 BL Delft The Netherlands
| | - Irene Grill
- Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), University of Munich (LMU) Butenandtstr. 5-13 81377 München Germany
| | - Johannes Schlipf
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Physik-Department, Technische Universität München James-Franck-Str. 1 85748 Garching Germany
| | - Udo Bach
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University Clayton Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Peter Müller-Buschbaum
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Physik-Department, Technische Universität München James-Franck-Str. 1 85748 Garching Germany
- Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Technische Universität München Lichtenbergstr. 1 85748 Garching Germany
| | - Achim Hartschuh
- Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), University of Munich (LMU) Butenandtstr. 5-13 81377 München Germany
| | - Thomas Bein
- Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), University of Munich (LMU) Butenandtstr. 5-13 81377 München Germany
| | - Tom Savenije
- Optoelectronic Materials Section, Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology Julianalaan 136 2628 BL Delft The Netherlands
| | - Pablo Docampo
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, University Pl Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
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Song F, Zheng D, Feng J, Liu J, Ye T, Li Z, Wang K, Liu SF, Yang D. Mechanical Durability and Flexibility in Perovskite Photovoltaics: Advancements and Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2312041. [PMID: 38219020 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202312041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
The remarkable progress in perovskite solar cell (PSC) technology has witnessed a remarkable leap in efficiency within the past decade. As this technology continues to mature, flexible PSCs (F-PSCs) are emerging as pivotal components for a wide array of applications, spanning from powering portable electronics and wearable devices to integrating seamlessly into electronic textiles and large-scale industrial roofing. F-PSCs characterized by their lightweight, mechanical flexibility, and adaptability for cost-effective roll-to-roll manufacturing, hold immense commercial potential. However, the persistent concerns regarding the overall stability and mechanical robustness of these devices loom large. This comprehensive review delves into recent strides made in enhancing the mechanical stability of F-PSCs. It covers a spectrum of crucial aspects, encompassing perovskite material optimization, precise crystal grain regulation, film quality enhancement, strategic interface engineering, innovational developed flexible transparent electrodes, judicious substrate selection, and the integration of various functional layers. By collating and analyzing these dedicated research endeavors, this review illuminates the current landscape of progress in addressing the challenges surrounding mechanical stability. Furthermore, it provides valuable insights into the persistent obstacles and bottlenecks that demand attention and innovative solutions in the field of F-PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Song
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Dexu Zheng
- China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Jiangshan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Jishuang Liu
- China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Tao Ye
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Systems for Aerospace, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Zhipeng Li
- China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Huanjiang Laboratory, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Zhejiang University, Zhuji, 311800, China
| | - Shengzhong Frank Liu
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Masawa SM, Zhao C, Liu J, Xu J, Yao J. Fabrication and Characterization of a Lead-Free Cesium Bismuth Iodide Perovskite through Antisolvent-Assisted Crystallization. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 14:626. [PMID: 38607160 PMCID: PMC11013909 DOI: 10.3390/nano14070626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Cesium bismuth iodide perovskite material offers good stability toward ambient conditions and has potential optoelectronic characteristics. However, wide bandgap, absorber surface roughness, and poor surface coverage with pinholes are among the key impediments to its adoption as a photovoltaic absorber material. Herein, bandgap modification and the tailoring of surface morphology have been performed through molar ratio variation and antisolvent treatment, whereby type III antisolvent (toluene) based on Hansen space has been utilized. XRD and Raman spectroscopy analyses confirm the formation of a 0D/2D mixed dimensional structure with improved optoelectronic properties when the molar ratio of CsI/BiI3 was adjusted from 1.5:1 to 1:1.5. The absorption results and Tauc plot determination show that the fabricated film has a lower bandgap of 1.80 eV. TRPL analysis reveals that the film possesses a very low charge carrier lifetime of 0.94 ns, suggesting deep defects. Toluene improves the charge carrier lifetime to 1.89 ns. The average grain size also increases from 323.26 nm to 444.3 nm upon toluene addition. Additionally, the inclusion of toluene results in a modest improvement in PCE, from 0.23% to 0.33%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salma Maneno Masawa
- Beijing Laboratory of Energy and Clean Utilization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (S.M.M.); (C.Z.); (J.L.); (J.X.)
- Department of Petroleum and Energy Engineering, College of Earth Sciences and Engineering, The University of Dodoma, Dodoma 41218, Tanzania
| | - Chenxu Zhao
- Beijing Laboratory of Energy and Clean Utilization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (S.M.M.); (C.Z.); (J.L.); (J.X.)
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Beijing Laboratory of Energy and Clean Utilization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (S.M.M.); (C.Z.); (J.L.); (J.X.)
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Jia Xu
- Beijing Laboratory of Energy and Clean Utilization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (S.M.M.); (C.Z.); (J.L.); (J.X.)
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Jianxi Yao
- Beijing Laboratory of Energy and Clean Utilization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (S.M.M.); (C.Z.); (J.L.); (J.X.)
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
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5
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Katayama K. Pattern-illumination time-resolved phase microscopy and its applications for photocatalytic and photovoltaic materials. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:9783-9815. [PMID: 38497609 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp06211b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Pattern-illumination time-resolved phase microscopy (PI-PM) is a technique used to study the microscopic charge carrier dynamics in photocatalytic and photovoltaic materials. The method involves illuminating a sample with a pump light pattern, which generates charge carriers and they decay subsequently due to trapping, recombination, and transfer processes. The distribution of photo-excited charge carriers is observed through refractive index changes using phase-contrast imaging. In the PI-PM method, the sensitivity of the refractive index change is enhanced by adjusting the focus position, the method takes advantage of photo-excited charge carriers to observe non-radiative processes, such as charge diffusion, trapping in defect/surface states, and interfacial charge transfer of photocatalytic and photovoltaic reactions. The quality of the image sequence is recovered using various informatics calculations. Categorizing and mapping different types of charge carriers based on their response profiles using clustering analysis provides spatial information on charge carrier types and the identification of local sites for efficient and inefficient photo-induced reactions, providing valuable information for the design and optimization of photocatalytic materials such as the cocatalyst effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Katayama
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Chuo University, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan.
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6
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Liu D, Wu Y, Samatov MR, Vasenko AS, Chulkov EV, Prezhdo OV. Compression Eliminates Charge Traps by Stabilizing Perovskite Grain Boundary Structures: An Ab Initio Analysis with Machine Learning Force Field. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2024; 36:2898-2906. [PMID: 38558914 PMCID: PMC10976646 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c03261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Grain boundaries (GBs) play an important role in determining the optoelectronic properties of perovskites, requiring an atomistic understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Strain engineering has recently been employed in perovskite solar cells, providing a novel perspective on the role of perovskite GBs. Here, we theoretically investigate the impact of axial strain on the geometric and electronic properties of a common CsPbBr3 GB. We develop a machine learning force field and perform ab initio calculations to analyze the behavior of GB models with different axial strains on a nanosecond time scale. Our results demonstrate that compressing the GB efficiently suppresses structural fluctuations and eliminates trap states originating from large-scale distortions. The GB becomes more amorphous under compressive strain, which makes the relationship between the electronic structure and axial strain nonmonotonic. These results can help clarify the conflicts in perovskite GB experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yifan Wu
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles California 90089, United States
| | | | - Andrey S. Vasenko
- HSE
University, 101000 Moscow, Russia
- Donostia
International Physics Center (DIPC), 20018 San Sebastián - Donostia, Euskadi, Spain
| | - Evgueni V. Chulkov
- Donostia
International Physics Center (DIPC), 20018 San Sebastián - Donostia, Euskadi, Spain
- Centro
de Física de Materiales (CFM-MPC), Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU, 20018 San Sebastián - Donostia, Euskadi, Spain
- Departamento
de Polímeros y Materiales Avanzados: Física, Química
y Tecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, 20080 San Sebastián
- Donostia, Euskadi, Spain
| | - Oleg V. Prezhdo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles California 90089, United States
- Department
of Physics & Astronomy, University of
Southern California, Los Angeles California 90089, United States
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7
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Song K, Fan Y, Qin W. Structure and Charge Carrier Separation Promotion Effects of Antiphase Boundaries in Cesium Lead Bromide. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:2255-2261. [PMID: 38381005 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Defects in lead halide perovskites (LHPs) may have a significant impact on charge carrier separation, but the roles of the defects are not fully understood. Here, using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), different types of antiphase boundaries (APBs) are discovered in CsPbBr3 platelets. APBs with a displacement vector of 1/4[111] are characterized by double layers of CsBr layers at the (110) or (001) planes, while APBs at the (112) planes are formed through edge sharing of PbBr6 ̵octahedra. Significant lattice distortions are determined at (001) and (110) APBs on the basis of quantitative analyses of STEM images. Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that all three types of APBs can induce band offsets at their valence bands and conduction bands. The APBs are intended to promote the separation of photogenerated charge carriers in LHPs. These findings provide a crystal engineering technique for enhancing the optoelectronic properties of LHPs by controlling defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kepeng Song
- Electron Microscopy Center, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yingcai Fan
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Wei Qin
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
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8
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Sudhakaran Menon V, Ganesan S, Raman RK, Alagumalai A, Krishnamoorthy A. Critical role of dopant in NiO x hole transport layer for mitigating redox reactivity at NiO x/absorber interface in mixed cation perovskite solar cells. Dalton Trans 2024; 53:781-797. [PMID: 38086659 DOI: 10.1039/d3dt03012a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Redox chemistry transpiring at the interface of NiOx hole transport layer (HTL) and perovskite absorber is a critical phenomenon leading to relatively low values of open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF), in turn hampering the overall device performance and stability. In this work, for the first time, the hard acid electronic nature of vanadium (V) dopant in nickel oxide HTL is opportunely exploited to mitigate the undesirable Lewis acid-base reactions occurring at the HTL/mixed-cation perovskite interface. The findings of the study show that vanadium doping results in improved interfacial energetics along with decreased VOC loss, confirming that despite the increase in Ni3+/Ni2+ ratio with the vanadium dopant, the redox reaction catalyzed by Ni3+ ions is kept under check. Vanadium doping also aided in the realization of superior perovskite films with lower Urbach energy, which translated into one order increase in maximum photoinduced carrier generation rate per unit volume. Carrier dynamics investigations show fewer defect states (lower VTFL) and trap-assisted recombination (lower diode ideality factor), which optimize the devices' photovoltaic performance. These benefits collectively contribute to low-loss charge transfer across the NiOx/mixed-cation perovskite interface, which increases the relative efficiency by ∼30% for 5 wt% V-doped NiOx devices compared to pristine NiOx devices, augmented by an increase in device J-V parameters like open circuit voltage (VOC), short circuit current density (JSC), and fill factor (FF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Sudhakaran Menon
- Organic and Perovskite Photovoltaics Laboratory (OPPV), Department of Chemistry, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India.
| | - Saraswathi Ganesan
- Organic and Perovskite Photovoltaics Laboratory (OPPV), Department of Chemistry, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India.
| | - Rohith Kumar Raman
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India
| | - Ananthan Alagumalai
- Organic and Perovskite Photovoltaics Laboratory (OPPV), Department of Chemistry, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India.
| | - Ananthanarayanan Krishnamoorthy
- Organic and Perovskite Photovoltaics Laboratory (OPPV), Department of Chemistry, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India.
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Gao Z, Leng C, Zhao H, Wei X, Shi H, Xiao Z. The Electrical Behaviors of Grain Boundaries in Polycrystalline Optoelectronic Materials. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2304855. [PMID: 37572037 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202304855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Polycrystalline optoelectronic materials are widely used for photoelectric signal conversion and energy harvesting and play an irreplaceable role in the semiconductor field. As an important factor in determining the optoelectronic properties of polycrystalline materials, grain boundaries (GBs) are the focus of research. Particular emphases are placed on the generation and height of GB barriers, how carriers move at GBs, whether GBs act as carrier transport channels or recombination sites, and how to change the device performance by altering the electrical behaviors of GBs. This review introduces the evolution of GB theory and experimental observation history, classifies GB electrical behaviors from the perspective of carrier dynamics, and summarizes carrier transport state under external conditions such as bias and illumination and the related band bending. Then the carrier scattering at GBs and the electrical differences between GBs and twin boundaries are discussed. Last, the review describes how the electrical behaviors of GBs can be influenced and modified by treatments such as passivation or by consciously adjusting the distribution of grain boundary elements. By studying the carrier dynamics and the relevant electrical behaviors of GBs in polycrystalline materials, researchers can develop optoelectronics with higher performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Gao
- Research Center for Quantum Information, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- Research Center for Nanofabrication and System Integration, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Chongqian Leng
- Research Center for Nanofabrication and System Integration, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Hongquan Zhao
- Research Center for Quantum Information, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Xingzhan Wei
- Research Center for Nanofabrication and System Integration, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Haofei Shi
- Research Center for Nanofabrication and System Integration, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
| | - Zeyun Xiao
- Research Center for Quantum Information, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
- Research Center for Thin Film Solar Cells, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400714, China
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Li K, Tang R, Zhu C, Chen T. Critical Review on Crystal Orientation Engineering of Antimony Chalcogenide Thin Film for Solar Cell Applications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304963. [PMID: 37939308 PMCID: PMC10787070 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The emerging antimony chalcogenide (Sb2 (Sx Se1-x )3 , 0 ≤ x ≤ 1) semiconductors are featured as quasi-1D structures comprising (Sb4 S(e)6 )n ribbons, this structural characteristic generates facet-dependent properties such as directional charge transfer and trap states. In terms of carrier transport, proper control over the crystal nucleation and growth conditions can promote preferentially oriented growth of favorable crystal planes, thus enabling efficient electron transport along (Sb4 S(e)6 )n ribbons. Furthermore, an in-depth understanding of the origin and impact of the crystal orientation of Sb2 (Sx Se1-x )3 films on the performance of corresponding photovoltaic devices is expected to lead to a breakthrough in power conversion efficiency. In fact, there are many studies on the orientation control of Sb2 (Sx Se1-x )3 colloidal nanomaterials. However, the synthesis of Sb2 (Sx Se1-x )3 thin films with controlled facets has recently been a focus in optoelectronic device applications. This work summarizes methodologies that are applied in the fabrication of preferentially oriented Sb2 (Sx Se1-x )3 films, including treatment strategies developed for crystal orientation engineering in each process. The mechanisms in the orientation control are thoroughly analyzed. An outlook on perspectives for the future development of Sb2 (Sx Se1-x )3 solar cells based on recent research and issues on orientation control is finally provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Li
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, 230041, P. R. China
| | - Rongfeng Tang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, 230041, P. R. China
| | - Changfei Zhu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, 230041, P. R. China
| | - Tao Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, P. R. China
- Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, 230041, P. R. China
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11
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Liang H, Yang W, Xia J, Gu H, Meng X, Yang G, Fu Y, Wang B, Cai H, Chen Y, Yang S, Liang C. Strain Effects on Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2304733. [PMID: 37828594 PMCID: PMC10724416 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Flexible perovskite solar cells (f-PSCs) as a promising power source have grabbed surging attention from academia and industry specialists by integrating with different wearable and portable electronics. With the development of low-temperature solution preparation technology and the application of different engineering strategies, the power conversion efficiency of f-PSCs has approached 24%. Due to the inherent properties and application scenarios of f-PSCs, the study of strain in these devices is recognized as one of the key factors in obtaining ideal devices and promoting commercialization. The strains mainly from the change of bond and lattice volume can promote phase transformation, induce decomposition of perovskite film, decrease mechanical stability, etc. However, the effect of strain on the performance of f-PSCs has not been systematically summarized yet. Herein, the sources of strain, evaluation methods, impacts on f-PSCs, and the engineering strategies to modulate strain are summarized. Furthermore, the problems and future challenges in this regard are raised, and solutions and outlooks are offered. This review is dedicated to summarizing and enhancing the research into the strain of f-PSCs to provide some new insights that can further improve the optoelectronic performance and stability of flexible devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Liang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed MatterSchool of PhysicsNational Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry‐Education Integration of Energy Storage TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710000P. R. China
| | - Wenhan Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed MatterSchool of PhysicsNational Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry‐Education Integration of Energy Storage TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710000P. R. China
| | - Junmin Xia
- State Key Laboratory of OrganicElectronics and Information DisplaysNanjing University of Posts and TelecommunicationsNanjing210000China
| | - Hao Gu
- Joint Key Laboratory of the Ministry of EducationInstitute of Applied Physics and Materials EngineeringUniversity of MacauMacau999078P. R. China
| | - Xiangchuan Meng
- National Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Synthesis/Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of EducationJiangxi Normal UniversityNanchang330000P. R. China
| | - Gege Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed MatterSchool of PhysicsNational Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry‐Education Integration of Energy Storage TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710000P. R. China
| | - Ying Fu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed MatterSchool of PhysicsNational Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry‐Education Integration of Energy Storage TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710000P. R. China
| | - Bin Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed MatterSchool of PhysicsNational Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry‐Education Integration of Energy Storage TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710000P. R. China
| | - Hairui Cai
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed MatterSchool of PhysicsNational Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry‐Education Integration of Energy Storage TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710000P. R. China
| | - Yiwang Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Carbohydrate Synthesis/Key Lab of Fluorine and Silicon for Energy Materials and Chemistry of Ministry of EducationJiangxi Normal UniversityNanchang330000P. R. China
| | - Shengchun Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed MatterSchool of PhysicsNational Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry‐Education Integration of Energy Storage TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710000P. R. China
| | - Chao Liang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed MatterSchool of PhysicsNational Innovation Platform (Center) for Industry‐Education Integration of Energy Storage TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710000P. R. China
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12
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Taylor EJ, Iyer V, Dhami BS, Klein C, Lawrie BJ, Appavoo K. Hyperspectral mapping of nanoscale photophysics and degradation processes in hybrid perovskite at the single grain level. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2023; 5:4687-4695. [PMID: 37705772 PMCID: PMC10496886 DOI: 10.1039/d3na00529a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
With solar cells reaching 26.1% certified efficiency, hybrid perovskites are now the most efficient thin film photovoltaic material. Though substantial effort has focussed on synthesis approaches and device architectures to further improve perovskite-based solar cells, more work is needed to correlate physical properties of the underlying film structure with device performance. Here, using cathodoluminescence microscopy coupled with unsupervised machine learning, we quantify how nanoscale heterogeneity globally builds up within a large morphological grain of hybrid perovskite when exposed to extrinsic stimuli such as charge accumulation from electron beams or milder environmental factors like humidity. The converged electron-beam excitation allows us to map PbI2 and the emergence of other intermediate phases with high spatial and energy resolution. In contrast with recent reports of hybrid perovskite cathodoluminescence, we observe no significant change in the PbI2 signatures, even after high-energy electron beam excitation. In fact, we can exploit the stable PbI2 signatures to quantitatively map how hybrid perovskites degrade. Moreover, we show how our methodology allows disentangling of the photophysics associated with photon recycling and band-edge emission with sub-micron resolution using a fundamental understanding of electron interactions in hybrid perovskites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan J Taylor
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham 1300 University Blvd., Birmingham AL 35294 USA
| | - Vasudevan Iyer
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN 37831 USA
| | - Bibek S Dhami
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham 1300 University Blvd., Birmingham AL 35294 USA
| | - Clay Klein
- Clarion University 840 Wood St, Clarion PA 16214 USA
| | - Benjamin J Lawrie
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN 37831 USA
- Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN 37831 USA
| | - Kannatassen Appavoo
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham 1300 University Blvd., Birmingham AL 35294 USA
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13
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Wu S, Zhang J, Qin M, Li F, Deng X, Lu X, Li WJ, Jen AKY. Manipulating Crystallographic Orientation via Cross-Linkable Ligand for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2207189. [PMID: 36760026 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The crystallographic orientation of polycrystalline perovskites is found to be strongly correlated with their intrinsic properties; therefore, it can be used to effectively enhance the performance of perovskite-based devices. Here, a facile way of manipulating the facet orientation of polycrystalline perovskite films in a controllable manner is reported. By incorporating a cross-linkable organic ligand into the perovskite precursor solution, the crystal orientation disorder can be reduced in the resultant perovskite films to exhibit the prominent (001) orientation with a preferred stacking mode. Moreover, the as-formed low-dimensional perovskites (LDPs) between the organic ligand and the excess lead iodide can passivate the defects around the grain boundaries. Consequently, highly efficient p-i-n structured perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be made in both rigid and flexible forms from modified perovskites to show high power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 24.12% and 23.23%, respectively. The devices also exhibit superior long-term stability in a humid environment (with T90 > 1000 h) and under thermal stress (retaining 87% of its initial PCE after 1000 h). More importantly, the ligand enables the derived LDPs to be crosslinked (under 254 nm UV illumination) to demonstrate excellent mechanical bending durability in flexible devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengfan Wu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Jie Zhang
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Minchao Qin
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Fengzhu Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Xiang Deng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Xinhui Lu
- Department of Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Wen-Jung Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Alex K-Y Jen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
- Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong
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14
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Shin S, Seo S, Jeong S, Sharbirin AS, Kim J, Ahn H, Park NG, Shin H. Kinetic-Controlled Crystallization of α-FAPbI 3 Inducing Preferred Crystallographic Orientation Enhances Photovoltaic Performance. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2300798. [PMID: 36994651 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Crystallization kinetic controls the crystallographic orientation, inducing anisotropic properties of the materials. As a result, preferential orientation with advanced optoelectronic properties can enhance the photovoltaic devices' performance. Although incorporation of additives is one of the most studied methods to stabilize the photoactive α-phase of formamidinium lead tri-iodide (α-FAPbI3 ), no studies focus on how the additives affect the crystallization kinetics. Along with the role of methylammonium chloride (MACl) as a "stabilizer" in the formation of α-FAPbI3 , herein, the additional role as a "controller" in the crystallization kinetics is pointed out. With microscopic observations, for example, electron backscatter diffraction and selected area electron diffraction, it is examined that higher concentration of MACl induces slower crystallization kinetics, resulting in larger grain size and [100] preferred orientation. Optoelectronic properties of [100] preferentially oriented grains with less non-radiative recombination, a longer lifetime of charge carriers, and lower photocurrent deviations in between each grain induce higher short-circuit current density (Jsc ) and fill factor. Resulting MACl40 mol% attains the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.1%. The results provide observations of a direct correlation between the crystallographic orientation and device performance as it highlights the importance of crystallization kinetics resulting in desirable microstructures for device engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sooeun Shin
- Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
- SKKU Institute of Energy Science and Technology (SIEST), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongrok Seo
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Seonghwa Jeong
- Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
| | - Anir S Sharbirin
- Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongyong Kim
- Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyungju Ahn
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang, Kyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam-Gyu Park
- SKKU Institute of Energy Science and Technology (SIEST), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjung Shin
- Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
- SKKU Institute of Energy Science and Technology (SIEST), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, 440-746, Republic of Korea
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15
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Li N, Li Y, Xie S, Wu J, Liu N, Yu Y, Lin Q, Liu Y, Yang S, Lian G, Fang Y, Yang D, Chen Z, Tao X. High‐Performance and Self‐Powered X‐Ray Detectors Made of Smooth Perovskite Microcrystalline Films with 100 μm Grains. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202302435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
| | - Yuyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 P. R. China
| | - Shengdan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
| | - Jinming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
| | - Nianqiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
| | - Yuan Yu
- School of Microelectronics State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
| | - Qinglian Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
| | - Shuang Yang
- Suzhou Research Institute Shandong University Suzhou 215123 P. R. China
| | - Gang Lian
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
| | - Yanjun Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 P. R. China
| | - Deren Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 P. R. China
| | - Zhaolai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
- Suzhou Research Institute Shandong University Suzhou 215123 P. R. China
| | - Xutang Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials Institute of Crystal Materials Shandong University Jinan 250100 P. R. China
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16
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Kadyrzhanov DB, Kozlovskiy AL, Zdorovets MV, Kenzhina IE, Shlimas DI. Evaluation of the Influence of Grain Sizes of Nanostructured WO 3 Ceramics on the Resistance to Radiation-Induced Softening. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:1028. [PMID: 36770035 PMCID: PMC9918201 DOI: 10.3390/ma16031028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to test a hypothesis about the effect of grain size on the resistance to destruction and changes in the strength and mechanical properties of oxide ceramics subjected to irradiation. WO3 powders were chosen as objects of study, which have a number of unique properties that meet the requirements for their use as a basis for inert matrices of dispersed nuclear fuel. The grain-size variation in WO3 ceramics was investigated by mechanochemical grinding of powders with different grinding speeds. Grinding conditions were experimentally selected to obtain powders with a high degree of size homogeneity, which were used for further research. During evaluation of the strength properties, it was found that a decrease in the grain size leads to an increase in the crack resistance, as well as the hardness of ceramics. The increase in strength properties can be explained by an increase in the dislocation density and the volume contribution of grain boundaries, which lead to hardening and an increase in resistance. During determination of the radiation damage resistance, it was found that a decrease in grain size to 50-70 nm leads to a decrease in the degree of radiation damage and the preservation of the resistance of irradiated ceramics to destruction and cracking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dauren B. Kadyrzhanov
- Engineering Profile Laboratory, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan 010008, Kazakhstan
| | - Artem L. Kozlovskiy
- Engineering Profile Laboratory, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan 010008, Kazakhstan
- Department of General Physics, Satbayev University, Almaty 050032, Kazakhstan
| | - Maxim V. Zdorovets
- Engineering Profile Laboratory, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan 010008, Kazakhstan
- Department of Intelligent Information Technologies, Ural Federal University, 620075 Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Inesh E. Kenzhina
- Department of General Physics, Satbayev University, Almaty 050032, Kazakhstan
- Advanced Electronics Development Laboratory, Kazakh-British Technical University, 59 Tole bi St., Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
| | - Dmitriy I. Shlimas
- Engineering Profile Laboratory, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan 010008, Kazakhstan
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17
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Li B, Shen T, Yun S. Recent progress of crystal orientation engineering in halide perovskite photovoltaics. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:13-40. [PMID: 36415914 DOI: 10.1039/d2mh00980c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Manipulating the crystallographic orientation of semiconductor crystals plays a vital role in fine-tuning their facet-dependent properties, such as surface properties, charge transfer properties, trap state density, and lattice strain. The success in crystal orientation engineering enables the preferential growth orientation of perovskite thin films with favorable crystal planes by precise nucleation manipulation and growth condition optimization, rendering the films with the unique optoelectronic properties to further improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the origin and impact of preferential crystallographic orientation of perovskite thin films on the corresponding photovoltaic performance of PSCs are still far from being well understood. Herein, we explore the crystal orientation-dependent optoelectronic properties of halide perovskites and their influence on the photovoltaic performance of PSCs. We summarize the basic strategies for crystal facet engineering in the fabrication of preferentially oriented perovskite thin films, with a focus on the oriented growth mechanism during thin film formation. Based on the above knowledge and the recent research progress in terms of crystal orientation engineering in PSCs, a brief outlook on the remaining challenges and perspectives are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- School of Materials and Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China.
| | - Ting Shen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Sining Yun
- School of Materials and Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China.
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18
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Held V, Mrkyvkova N, Nádaždy P, Vegso K, Vlk A, Ledinský M, Jergel M, Chumakov A, Roth SV, Schreiber F, Siffalovic P. Evolution of Structure and Optoelectronic Properties During Halide Perovskite Vapor Deposition. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:11905-11912. [PMID: 36525260 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The efficiency of perovskite-based solar cells has increased dramatically over the past decade to as high as 25%, making them very attractive for commercial use. Vapor deposition is a promising technique that potentially enables fabrication of perovskite solar cells on large areas. However, to implement a large-scale deposition method, understanding and controlling the specific growth mechanisms are essential for the reproducible fabrication of high-quality layers. Here, we study the structural and optoelectronic kinetics of MAPbI3, employing in-situ photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and grazing-incidence small/wide-angle X-ray scattering (GI-SAXS/WAXS) simultaneously during perovskite vapor deposition. Such a unique combination of techniques reveals MAPbI3 formation from the early stages and uncovers the morphology, crystallographic structure, and defect density evolution. Furthermore, we show that the nonmonotonous character of PL intensity contrasts with the increasing volume of the perovskite phase during the growth, although bringing valuable information about the presence of defect states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Held
- Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Nada Mrkyvkova
- Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
- Center for Advanced Materials Application, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Nádaždy
- Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
- Center for Advanced Materials Application, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Karol Vegso
- Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
- Center for Advanced Materials Application, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Aleš Vlk
- Laboratory of Thin Films, Institute of Physics, ASCR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Ledinský
- Laboratory of Thin Films, Institute of Physics, ASCR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 00Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Matej Jergel
- Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
- Center for Advanced Materials Application, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Andrei Chumakov
- Photon Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg22607, Germany
| | - Stephan V Roth
- Photon Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg22607, Germany
| | - Frank Schreiber
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter Siffalovic
- Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
- Center for Advanced Materials Application, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 11Bratislava, Slovakia
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19
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Liu D, Wu Y, Vasenko AS, Prezhdo OV. Grain boundary sliding and distortion on a nanosecond timescale induce trap states in CsPbBr 3: ab initio investigation with machine learning force field. NANOSCALE 2022; 15:285-293. [PMID: 36484318 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05918e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Grain boundaries (GBs) in perovskite solar cells and optoelectronic devices are widely regarded as detrimental defects that accelerate charge and energy losses through nonradiative carrier trapping and recombination, but the mechanism is still under debate owing to the diversity of GB configurations and behaviors. We combine ab initio electronic structure and machine learning force field to investigate evolution of the geometric and electronic structure of a CsPbBr3 GB on a nanosecond timescale, which is comparable with the carrier recombination time. We demonstrate that the GB slides spontaneously within a few picoseconds increasing the band gap. Subsequent structural oscillations dynamically produce midgap trap states through Pb-Pb interactions across the GB. After several hundred picoseconds, structural distortions start to occur, increasing the occurrence of deep midgap states. We identify a distinct correlation of the average Pb-Pb distance and fluctuations in the ion coordination numbers with the appearance of the midgap states. Suppressing GB distortions through annealing and breaking up Pb-Pb dimers by passivation can efficiently alleviate the detrimental effects of GBs in perovskites. The study provides new insights into passivation of the detrimental GB defects, and demonstrates that structural and charge carrier dynamics in perovskites are intimately coupled.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yifan Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Andrey S Vasenko
- HSE University, 101000 Moscow, Russia.
- I.E. Tamm Department of Theoretical Physics, P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Oleg V Prezhdo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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20
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Dhami BS, Iyer V, Pant A, Tripathi RPN, Taylor EJ, Lawrie BJ, Appavoo K. Angle-resolved polarimetry of hybrid perovskite emission for photonic technologies. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:17519-17527. [PMID: 36409224 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr03261a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Coupling between light and matter strongly depends on the polarization of the electromagnetic field and the nature of excitations in a material. As hybrid perovskites emerge as a promising class of materials for light-based technologies such as LEDs, LASERs, and photodetectors, it is critical to understand how their microstructure changes the intrinsic properties of the photon emission process. While the majority of optical studies have focused on the spectral content, quantum efficiency and lifetimes of emission in various hybrid perovskite thin films and nanostructures, few studies have investigated other properties of the emitted photons such as polarization and emission angle. Here, we use angle-resolved cathodoluminescence microscopy to access the full polarization state of photons emitted from large-grain hybrid perovskite films with spatial resolution well below the optical diffraction limit. Mapping these Stokes parameters as a function of the angle at which the photons are emitted from the thin film surface, we reveal the effect of a grain boundary on the degree of polarization and angle at which the photons are emitted. Such studies of angle- and polarization-resolved emission at the single grain level are necessary for future development of perovskite-based flat optics, where effects of grain boundaries and interfaces need to be mitigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibek S Dhami
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Vasudevan Iyer
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN, 37831, USA
| | - Aniket Pant
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Ravi P N Tripathi
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Ethan J Taylor
- Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Benjamin J Lawrie
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN, 37831, USA
- Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN, 37831, USA
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21
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Ni Z, Xu S, Jiao H, Gu H, Fei C, Huang J. High grain boundary recombination velocity in polycrystalline metal halide perovskites. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq8345. [PMID: 36070394 PMCID: PMC9451161 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq8345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Understanding carrier recombination processes in metal halide perovskites is fundamentally important to further improving the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, yet the accurate recombination velocity at grain boundaries (GBs) has not been determined. Here, we report the determination of carrier recombination velocities at GBs (SGB) of polycrystalline perovskites by mapping the transient photoluminescence pattern change induced by the nonradiative recombination of carriers at GBs. Charge recombination at GBs is revealed to be even stronger than at surfaces of unpassivated films, with average SGB reaching 2200 to 3300 cm/s. Regular surface treatments do not passivate GBs because of the absence of contact at GBs. We find a surface treatment using tributyl(methyl)phosphonium dimethyl phosphate that can penetrate into GBs by partially dissolving GBs and converting it into one-dimensional perovskites. It reduces the average SGB by four times, with the lowest SGB of 410 cm/s, which is comparable to surface recombination velocities after passivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyi Ni
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Shuang Xu
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Haoyang Jiao
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Hangyu Gu
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Chengbin Fei
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jinsong Huang
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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22
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Zhao L, Tang P, Luo D, Dar MI, Eickemeyer FT, Arora N, Hu Q, Luo J, Liu Y, Zakeeruddin SM, Hagfeldt A, Arbiol J, Huang W, Gong Q, Russell TP, Friend RH, Grätzel M, Zhu R. Enabling full-scale grain boundary mitigation in polycrystalline perovskite solids. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo3733. [PMID: 36054361 PMCID: PMC10848950 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo3733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There exists a considerable density of interaggregate grain boundaries (GBs) and intra-aggregate GBs in polycrystalline perovskites. Mitigation of intra-aggregate GBs is equally notable to that of interaggregate GBs as intra-aggregate GBs can also cause detrimental effects on the photovoltaic performances of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, we demonstrate full-scale GB mitigation ranging from nanoscale intra-aggregate to submicron-scale interaggregate GBs, by modulating the crystallization kinetics using a judiciously designed brominated arylamine trimer. The optimized GB-mitigated perovskite films exhibit reduced nonradiative recombination, and their corresponding mesostructured PSCs show substantially enhanced device efficiency and long-term stability under illumination, humidity, or heat stress. The versatility of our strategy is also verified upon applying it to different categories of PSCs. Our discovery not only specifies a rarely addressed perspective concerning fundamental studies of perovskites at nanoscale but also opens a route to obtain high-quality solution-processed polycrystalline perovskites for high-performance optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lichen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics & Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pengyi Tang
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- State Key Laboratory of Information Functional Materials, 2020 X-Lab, ShangHai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
| | - Deying Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics & Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - M. Ibrahim Dar
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Felix T. Eickemeyer
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Neha Arora
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Qin Hu
- Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- School of Microelectronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jingshan Luo
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Solar Energy Research Center, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yuhang Liu
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Shaik Mohammed Zakeeruddin
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anders Hagfeldt
- Laboratory of Photomolecular Science, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jordi Arbiol
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and BIST, Campus UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Wei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics & Institute of Advanced Materials, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
- Shaanxi Institute of Flexible Electronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Qihuang Gong
- State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics & Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Thomas P. Russell
- Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Richard H. Friend
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Michael Grätzel
- Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Station 6, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rui Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics & Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
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23
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Yang B, Bogachuk D, Suo J, Wagner L, Kim H, Lim J, Hinsch A, Boschloo G, Nazeeruddin MK, Hagfeldt A. Strain effects on halide perovskite solar cells. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:7509-7530. [PMID: 35929481 PMCID: PMC9426645 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00278g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) approaching 26%, however, the stability issue hinders their commercialization. Due to the soft ionic nature of perovskite materials, the strain effect on perovskite films has been recently recognized as one of the key factors that affects their opto-electronic properties and the device stability. Herein, we summarized the origins of strain, characterization techniques, and implications of strain on both perovskite film and solar cells as well as various strategies to control the strain. Finally, we proposed effective strategies for future strain engineering. We believe this comprehensive review could further facilitate researchers with a deeper understanding of strain effect and enhance the research activity in engineering the strain to further improve performance and especially the device stability toward commercialization. This review systematically describes the origins, characterization and implications of strain in perovskite solar cells and proposes novel control strategies.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Yang
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, SE-75120 Uppsala, Sweden. .,Laboratory of Photomolecular Science, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dmitry Bogachuk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jiajia Suo
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, SE-75120 Uppsala, Sweden. .,Laboratory of Photomolecular Science, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lukas Wagner
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hobeom Kim
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1951 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Jaekeun Lim
- Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1951 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hinsch
- Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gerrit Boschloo
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, SE-75120 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1951 Sion, Switzerland
| | - Anders Hagfeldt
- Department of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, SE-75120 Uppsala, Sweden. .,Laboratory of Photomolecular Science, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, School of Basic Sciences, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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24
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Jin B, Ming Y, Liang Z, Wang K, Wu C. Avoid Pitfalls in Identifying Perovskite Grain Size. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:7236-7242. [PMID: 35950306 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Perovskite grain size has been used as one of the indicators to evaluate the morphological quality of perovskite films. Large grain size is customarily regarded as an indicator of high photovoltaic performance because it is thought to result in superior charge carrier transport properties due to less carrier scattering by the grain boundaries (GBs). Consequently, the characterization of perovskite grain size has become routine in perovskite solar cell research, and large grain size is in general pursued. However, grain size estimation relying on the prevailing methods, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), can be viewed only as "apparent grain size", which is incomplete or possibly wrong for evaluating GB distribution. To avoid the pitfalls and advocate for accurate methodologies in identifying perovskite grain size, this Viewpoint highlights the pitfalls by demonstrating specific examples and then provides an appropriate platform to accurately evaluate perovskite grain information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Jin
- Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yidong Ming
- Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Zihui Liang
- Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Penn State, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Congcong Wu
- Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
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25
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Song K, Fan Y, Liu J, Qi D, Lu N, Qin W. Carrier Separation Enhanced by High Angle Twist Grain Boundaries in Cesium Lead Bromide Perovskites. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:7206-7212. [PMID: 35912980 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Grain boundaries (GBs) have a profound impact on mechanical, chemical, and physical properties of polycrystalline materials. Comprehension of atomic and electronic structures of different GBs in materials can help to understand their impact on materials' properties. Here, with aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), the atomic structure of a 90° twist GB s in CsPbBr3 is determined, and its impact on electron-hole pair separation is predicted. The 90° twist GB has a coherent interface and the same chemical composition as the bulk except for the lattice twist. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation results indicate that the twist GB has an electronic structure similar to that of the bulk CsPbBr3. An electronic potential at the GBs enhances the separation of photogenerated carriers and promotes the motion of electrons across the GBs. These results extend the understanding of atomic and electronic structure of GBs in halide perovskites and propose a potential strategy to eliminate the influence of GBs by GB engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kepeng Song
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou 215123, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yingcai Fan
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Jiakai Liu
- College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen 518118, China
| | - Dongqing Qi
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Ning Lu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Wei Qin
- School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
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26
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Zohar A, Kulbak M, Turren-Cruz SH, Nayak PK, Kama A, Hagfeldt A, Snaith HJ, Hodes G, Cahen D. In Operando, Photovoltaic, and Microscopic Evaluation of Recombination Centers in Halide Perovskite-Based Solar Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:34171-34179. [PMID: 34460226 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c08675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The origin of the low densities of electrically active defects in Pb halide perovskite (HaP), a crucial factor for their use in photovoltaics, light emission, and radiation detection, remains a matter of discussion, in part because of the difficulty in determining these densities. Here, we present a powerful approach to assess the defect densities, based on electric field mapping in working HaP-based solar cells. The minority carrier diffusion lengths were deduced from the electric field profile, measured by electron beam-induced current (EBIC). The EBIC method was used earlier to get the first direct evidence for the n-i-p junction structure, at the heart of efficient HaP-based PV cells, and later by us and others for further HaP studies. This manuscript includes EBIC results on illuminated cell cross sections (in operando) at several light intensities to compare optoelectronic characteristics of different cells made by different groups in several laboratories. We then apply a simple, effective single-level defect model that allows deriving the densities (Nr) of the defect acting as recombination center. We find Nr ≈ 1 × 1013 cm-3 for mixed A cation lead bromide-based HaP films and ∼1 × 1014 cm-3 for MAPbBr3(Cl). As EBIC photocurrents are similar at the grain bulk and boundaries, we suggest that the defects are at the interfaces with selective contacts rather than in the HaP film. These results are relevant for photovoltaic devices as the EBIC responses distinguish clearly between high- and low-efficiency devices. The most efficient devices have n-i-p structures with a close-to-intrinsic HaP film, and the selective contacts then dictate the electric field strength throughout the HaP absorber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arava Zohar
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Michael Kulbak
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Silver H Turren-Cruz
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Jaume I University, Castelló de la Plana 12071, Spain
| | - Pabitra K Nayak
- Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 36/P, Gopanpally Village, Serilingampally Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Adi Kama
- Chemistry Department and Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Anders Hagfeldt
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Henry J Snaith
- Department of Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Gary Hodes
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - David Cahen
- Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
- Chemistry Department and Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
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27
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Soft X-ray characterization of halide perovskite film by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4520. [PMID: 35296696 PMCID: PMC8927596 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08256-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Organic–inorganic metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have recently been receiving a lot of attention due to their newfound application in optoelectronic devices, including perovskite solar cells (PSCs) which have reached power conversion efficiencies as high as 25.5%. However, the fundamental mechanisms in PSCs, including the correlation of degradation with the excellent optoelectrical properties of the perovskite absorbers, are poorly understood. In this paper, we have explored synchrotron-based soft X-ray characterization as an effective technique for the compositional analysis of MHP thin films. Most synchrotron-based studies used for investigating MHPs so far are based on hard X-rays (5–10 keV) which include various absorption edges (Pb L-edge, I L-edge, Br K-edge, etc.) but are not suited for the analysis of the organic component in these materials. In order to be sensitive to a maximum number of elements, we have employed soft X-ray-based scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) as a spectro-microscopy technique for the characterization of MHPs. We examined its sensitivity to iodine and organic components, aging, or oxidation by-products in MHPs to make sure that our suggested method is suitable for studying MHPs. Furthermore, methylammonium triiodide with different deposition ratios of PbI2 and CH3NH3I (MAI), and different thicknesses, were characterized for chemical inhomogeneity at the nanoscale by STXM. Through these measurements, we demonstrate that STXM is very sensitive to chemical composition and homogeneity in MHPs. Thus, we highlight the utility of STXM for an in-depth analysis of physical and chemical phenomena in PSCs.
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28
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Yao W, Fang S, Hu Z, Huang L, Liu X, Zhang H, Zhang J, Zhu Y. Dependence of the Heterogeneity of Grain Boundaries on Adjacent Grains in Perovskites and Its Impact on Photovoltage. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2105140. [PMID: 34894082 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202105140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In polycrystalline perovskites, grain boundaries (GBs) that isolate grains determine the optoelectronic properties of a semiconductor, and hence affect the photovoltaic performance of a solar cell. Photocurrent and photovoltage are affected by the microscopic structure of perovskites but are difficult to quantify on the intragrain length scale and are often treated as homogeneous within the photoactive layer. Here, the nanoscale through-film and lateral photoresponse of large-grained perovskite are studied by photoconductive atomic force microscopy. Photocurrent collection along GBs relies on the formation of adjacent grains, exhibiting GB to GB heterogeneity. Regarding to the spatially correlated heterogeneity, the photovoltage of grains deduced from the photoresponse curves at specific positions is larger than that of GBs by up to 0.4 V, suggesting that the photovoltage loss mainly originates from the shunting of GBs through the whole perovskite layer. These spatial heterogeneities are alleviated by depositing a capping layer onto the perovskite layer, highlighting the role of the inserted layer between the perovskite and electrode in real solar cells. This research reveals the heterogeneity of GBs and its influence on photovoltage that actually occurs in virtual solar cells, which is crucial for optimizing perovskite-based solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Yao
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Clean Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo Collaborative Innovation Center of Nonlinear Calamity System of Ocean and Atmosphere, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Shuyan Fang
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Clean Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo Collaborative Innovation Center of Nonlinear Calamity System of Ocean and Atmosphere, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Ziyang Hu
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Clean Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo Collaborative Innovation Center of Nonlinear Calamity System of Ocean and Atmosphere, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Like Huang
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Clean Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo Collaborative Innovation Center of Nonlinear Calamity System of Ocean and Atmosphere, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Xiaohui Liu
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Clean Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo Collaborative Innovation Center of Nonlinear Calamity System of Ocean and Atmosphere, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Houcheng Zhang
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Clean Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo Collaborative Innovation Center of Nonlinear Calamity System of Ocean and Atmosphere, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Clean Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo Collaborative Innovation Center of Nonlinear Calamity System of Ocean and Atmosphere, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
| | - Yuejin Zhu
- Department of Microelectronic Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Clean Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo Collaborative Innovation Center of Nonlinear Calamity System of Ocean and Atmosphere, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China
- School of Science and Engineering, College of Science and Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315300, China
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29
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Capitaine A, Sciacca B. Monocrystalline Methylammonium Lead Halide Perovskite Materials for Photovoltaics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2102588. [PMID: 34652035 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202102588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Lead halide perovskite solar cells have been gaining more and more interest. In only a decade, huge research efforts from interdisciplinary communities enabled enormous scientific advances that rapidly led to energy conversion efficiency near that of record silicon solar cells, at an unprecedented pace. However, while for most materials the best solar cells were achieved with single crystals (SC), for perovskite the best cells have been so far achieved with polycrystalline (PC) thin films, despite the optoelectronic properties of perovskite SC are undoubtedly superior. Here, by taking as example monocrystalline methylammonium lead halide, the authors elaborate the literature from material synthesis and characterization to device fabrication and testing, to provide with plausible explanations for the relatively low efficiency, despite the superior optoelectronics performance. In particular, the authors focus on how solar cell performance is affected by anisotropy, crystal orientation, surface termination, interfaces, and device architecture. It is argued that, to unleash the full potential of monocrystalline perovskite, a holistic approach is needed in the design of next-generation device architecture. This would unquestionably lead to power conversion efficiency higher than those of PC perovskites and silicon solar cells, with tremendous impact on the swift deployment of renewable energy on a large scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Capitaine
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CINaM, Marseille, 13288, France
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30
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Yang L, Liu J, Lin Y, Xu K, Cao X, Zhang Z, Wu J. Mechanical ductile detwinning in CH 3NH 3PbI 3 perovskite. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:21863-21873. [PMID: 34557881 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp02109e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Twin boundaries (TBs) were identified to show conflicting positive/negative effects on the physical properties of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskites, but their effects on the mechanical properties are still unclear. Herein, the tensile characteristics of a variety of TB-dominated bicrystalline CH3NH3PbI3 perovskites are explored using molecular simulations. The results show that TB-containing CH3NH3PbI3 perovskites can be classified into four types based on their tensile ductile detwinning characteristics. Type I is characterized by smooth loading flow stress-strain responses, originating from relatively uniform stress distribution induced gradual amorphization in the TB region. Types II and III are represented by a sudden drop in loading stresses but then distinct ductile flow stress-strain curves, resulting from limited and large-area amorphizations of TB-involved structures, respectively. However, Type IV is highlighted by double apparent peaks in the loading curve, followed by a ductile flow response, originating from the stress-concentration of localization-to-globalization in the TB region, as well as amorphization. This study provides critical insights into the mechanical characteristics of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskites and indicates that TB engineering is a promising strategy to design mechanically robust hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite-based device systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Yang
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Jiujiang Research Institute and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Jinjie Liu
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Jiujiang Research Institute and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Yanwen Lin
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Jiujiang Research Institute and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Jiujiang Research Institute and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Xuezheng Cao
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Jiujiang Research Institute and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Zhisen Zhang
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Jiujiang Research Institute and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Jianyang Wu
- Department of Physics, Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Jiujiang Research Institute and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China. .,NTNU Nanomechanical Lab, Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim 7491, Norway
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Gegevičius R, Franckevičius M, Gulbinas V. The Role of Grain Boundaries in Charge Carrier Dynamics in Polycrystalline Metal Halide Perovskites. Eur J Inorg Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ejic.202100360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rokas Gegevičius
- Department of Molecular Compound Physics Center for Physical Sciences and Technology Saulėtekio ave. 3 LT-10257 Vilnius Lithuania
| | - Marius Franckevičius
- Department of Molecular Compound Physics Center for Physical Sciences and Technology Saulėtekio ave. 3 LT-10257 Vilnius Lithuania
| | - Vidmantas Gulbinas
- Department of Molecular Compound Physics Center for Physical Sciences and Technology Saulėtekio ave. 3 LT-10257 Vilnius Lithuania
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32
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Li W, She Y, Vasenko AS, Prezhdo OV. Ab initio nonadiabatic molecular dynamics of charge carriers in metal halide perovskites. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:10239-10265. [PMID: 34031683 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr01990b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Photoinduced nonequilibrium processes in nanoscale materials play key roles in photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. This review summarizes recent theoretical investigations of excited state dynamics in metal halide perovskites (MHPs), carried out using a state-of-the-art methodology combining nonadiabatic molecular dynamics with real-time time-dependent density functional theory. The simulations allow one to study evolution of charge carriers at the ab initio level and in the time-domain, in direct connection with time-resolved spectroscopy experiments. Eliminating the need for the common approximations, such as harmonic phonons, a choice of the reaction coordinate, weak electron-phonon coupling, a particular kinetic mechanism, and perturbative calculation of rate constants, we model full-dimensional quantum dynamics of electrons coupled to semiclassical vibrations. We study realistic aspects of material composition and structure and their influence on various nonequilibrium processes, including nonradiative trapping and relaxation of charge carriers, hot carrier cooling and luminescence, Auger-type charge-charge scattering, multiple excitons generation and recombination, charge and energy transfer between donor and acceptor materials, and charge recombination inside individual materials and across donor/acceptor interfaces. These phenomena are illustrated with representative materials and interfaces. Focus is placed on response to external perturbations, formation of point defects and their passivation, mixed stoichiometries, dopants, grain boundaries, and interfaces of MHPs with charge transport layers, and quantum confinement. In addition to bulk materials, perovskite quantum dots and 2D perovskites with different layer and spacer cation structures, edge passivation, and dielectric screening are discussed. The atomistic insights into excited state dynamics under realistic conditions provide the fundamental understanding needed for design of advanced solar energy and optoelectronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, People's Republic of China.
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33
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McGovern L, Koschany I, Grimaldi G, Muscarella LA, Ehrler B. Grain Size Influences Activation Energy and Migration Pathways in MAPbBr 3 Perovskite Solar Cells. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:2423-2428. [PMID: 33661008 PMCID: PMC8041307 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Ion migration in perovskite layers can significantly reduce the long-term stability of the devices. While perovskite composition engineering has proven an interesting tool to mitigate ion migration, many optoelectronic devices require a specific bandgap and thus require a specific perovskite composition. Here, we look at the effect of grain size to mitigate ion migration. We find that in MAPbBr3 solar cells prepared with grain sizes varying from 2 to 11 μm the activation energy for bromide ion migration increases from 0.17 to 0.28 eV. Moreover, we observe the appearance of a second bromide ion migration pathway for the devices with largest grain size, which we attribute to ion migration mediated by the bulk of the perovskite, as opposed to ion migration mediated by the grain boundaries. Together, these results suggest the beneficial nature of grain engineering for reduction of ion migration in perovskite solar cells.
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Zhao J, Sun P, Wu Z, Li J, Wang X, Xiao T, Yang L, Zheng Z, Huang Z. Titanium Nanopillar Arrays Functioning as Electron Transporting Layers for Efficient, Anti-Aging Perovskite Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2004778. [PMID: 33325649 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202004778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Electron transporting layers (ETLs), required to be optically transparent in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) having regular structures, possess a determinant effect on electron extraction and collection. Metal oxides (e.g., TiO2 ) have overwhelmingly served as ETLs, but usually have low electron mobility (μe < 10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1 ) not favorable for photovoltaic conversion. Here, metal oxides are replaced with metals (e.g., Ti with μe ≈ 294 cm2 V-1 s-1 ) that are sculptured via glancing angle deposition to be a close-packed nanopillar array (NaPA), which vertically protrudes on a transparent electrode to obtain sufficient optical transmission for light harvesting in perovskite. Ti NaPAs, whose rough surfaces are passivated with 5 nm thick TiO2 (i.e., Ti NaPAs@TiO2 ) to suppress exciton recombination, lead to the champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.89% that is superior to that of MAPbI3 PSCs without Ti NaPAs@TiO2 or containing TiO2 NaPAs@TiO2 , owing to high surface wettability, high μe , and relatively low work function of Ti. Furthermore, Ti NaPAs@TiO2 effectively prevents the decomposition of MAPbI3 to achieve long-term shelf stability whereby 50-day aging only causes 15% PCE degradation. This work paves the way toward widening the material spectrum, from semiconductors to metals, to generate a diverse range of ETLs for producing efficient optoelectronic devices with long-term shelf stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhao
- School of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials Innovations & Key Laboratory of Advanced Carbon Materials and Wearable Energy Technologies of Jiangsu Province, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
- Jiangsu Province Cultivation base for State Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Science and Technology, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164, China
| | - Peng Sun
- Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Zhongwei Wu
- Laboratory for Advanced Interface and Materials, Research Centre for Smart Wearable Technology, Institute of Textiles Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials Innovations & Key Laboratory of Advanced Carbon Materials and Wearable Energy Technologies of Jiangsu Province, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Xiaohan Wang
- School of Energy, Soochow Institute for Energy and Materials Innovations & Key Laboratory of Advanced Carbon Materials and Wearable Energy Technologies of Jiangsu Province, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China
| | - Ting Xiao
- Laboratory for Advanced Interface and Materials, Research Centre for Smart Wearable Technology, Institute of Textiles Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Lin Yang
- HKBU Institute of Research and Continuing Education, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
| | - Zijian Zheng
- Laboratory for Advanced Interface and Materials, Research Centre for Smart Wearable Technology, Institute of Textiles Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhifeng Huang
- Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- HKBU Institute of Research and Continuing Education, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China
- Institute of Advanced Materials, State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Golden Meditech Centre for NeuroRegeneration Sciences, HKBU, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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35
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Kim JH, Kim MK, Gadisa A, Stuard SJ, Nahid MM, Kwon S, Bae S, Kim B, Park GS, Won DH, Lee DK, Kim DW, Shin TJ, Do YR, Kim J, Choi WJ, Ade H, Min BK. Morphological-Electrical Property Relation in Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se) 2 Solar Cells: Significance of Crystal Grain Growth and Band Grading by Potassium Treatment. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2003865. [PMID: 33150725 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202003865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Solution-processed Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 (CIGS) has a great potential for the production of large-area photovoltaic devices at low cost. However, CIGS solar cells processed from solution exhibit relatively lower performance compared to vacuum-processed devices because of a lack of proper composition distribution, which is mainly instigated by the limited Se uptake during chalcogenization. In this work, a unique potassium treatment method is utilized to improve the selenium uptake judiciously, enhancing grain sizes and forming a wider bandgap minimum region. Careful engineering of the bandgap grading structure also results in an enlarged space charge region, which is favorable for electron-hole separation and efficient charge carrier collection. Besides, this device processing approach has led to a linearly increasing electron diffusion length and carrier lifetime with increasing the grain size of the CIGS film, which is a critical achievement for enhancing photocurrent yield. Overall, 15% of power conversion efficiency is achieved in solar cells processed from environmentally benign solutions. This approach offers critical insights for precise device design and processing rules for solution-processed CIGS solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo-Hyun Kim
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Kyu Kim
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Abay Gadisa
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, 851 Main Campus Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Samuel J Stuard
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, 851 Main Campus Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Masrur Morshed Nahid
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, 851 Main Campus Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Soyeong Kwon
- Department of Physics, Ewha Womans University, 52, Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Soohyun Bae
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoungwoo Kim
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi Soon Park
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Da Hye Won
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ki Lee
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Wook Kim
- Department of Physics, Ewha Womans University, 52, Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Joo Shin
- UNIST Central Research Facilities, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 50, UNIST-gil, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Rag Do
- Department of Chemistry, Kookmin University, 77, Jeongneung-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Jun Choi
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Harald Ade
- Department of Physics and Organic and Carbon Electronics Laboratories (ORaCEL), North Carolina State University, 851 Main Campus Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Byoung Koun Min
- Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Hwarang-ro 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Korea University, 145, Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
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36
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Caplins BW, Holm JD, White RM, Keller RR. Orientation mapping of graphene using 4D STEM-in-SEM. Ultramicroscopy 2020; 219:113137. [PMID: 33096294 PMCID: PMC8022335 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2020.113137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A scanning diffraction technique is implemented in the scanning electron microscope. The technique, referred to as 4D STEM-in-SEM (four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy in the scanning electron microscope), collects a diffraction pattern from each point on a sample which is saved to disk for further analysis. The diffraction patterns are collected using an on-axis lens-coupled phosphor/CCD arrangement. Synchronization between the electron beam and the camera exposure is accomplished with off-the-shelf data acquisition hardware. Graphene is used as a model system to test the sensitivity of the instrumentation and develop some basic analysis techniques. The data show interpretable diffraction patterns from monolayer graphene with integration times as short as 0.5 ms with a beam current of 245 pA (7.65×105 incident electrons per pixel). Diffraction patterns are collected at a rate of ca. 100/s from the mm to nm length scales. Using a grain boundary as a 'knife-edge', the spatial resolution of the technique is demonstrated to be ≤5.6nm (edge-width 25 % to 75 %). Analysis of the orientation of the diffraction patterns yields an angular (orientation) precision of ≤0.19∘ (full width at half maximum) for unsupported monolayer graphene. In addition, it is demonstrated that the 4D datasets have the information content necessary to analyze complex and heterogeneous multilayer graphene films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin W Caplins
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, Boulder, CO, 80305, United States.
| | - Jason D Holm
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, Boulder, CO, 80305, United States
| | - Ryan M White
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, Boulder, CO, 80305, United States
| | - Robert R Keller
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, Boulder, CO, 80305, United States
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37
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Young Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Wook Lee
- SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT) and Department of Nanoengineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Suk Jung
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunjung Shin
- Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam-Gyu Park
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
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38
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Song J, Zhou Y, Padture NP, Huey BD. Anomalous 3D nanoscale photoconduction in hybrid perovskite semiconductors revealed by tomographic atomic force microscopy. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3308. [PMID: 32620841 PMCID: PMC7335063 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17012-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
While grain boundaries (GBs) in conventional inorganic semiconductors are frequently considered as detrimental for photogenerated carrier transport, their exact role remains obscure for the emerging hybrid perovskite semiconductors. A primary challenge for GB-property investigations is that experimentally they need to be performed at the top surface, which is not only insensitive to depth-dependent inhomogeneities but also could be susceptible to topographic artifacts. Accordingly, we have developed a unique approach based on tomographic atomic force microscopy, achieving a fully-3D, photogenerated carrier transport map at the nanoscale in hybrid perovskites. This reveals GBs serving as highly interconnected conducting channels for carrier transport. We have further discovered the coexistence of two GB types in hybrid perovskites, one exhibiting enhanced carrier mobilities, while the other is insipid. Our approach reveals otherwise inaccessible buried features and previously unresolved conduction pathways, crucial for optimizing hybrid perovskites for various optoelectronic applications including solar cells and photodetectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingfeng Song
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Zhou
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Nitin P Padture
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Bryan D Huey
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
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39
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Lian Q, Mokhtar MZ, Lu D, Zhu M, Jacobs J, Foster AB, Thomas AG, Spencer BF, Wu S, Liu C, Hodson NW, Smith B, Alkaltham A, Alkhudhari OM, Watson T, Saunders BR. Using Soft Polymer Template Engineering of Mesoporous TiO 2 Scaffolds to Increase Perovskite Grain Size and Solar Cell Efficiency. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:18578-18589. [PMID: 32237709 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c02248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The mesoporous (meso)-TiO2 layer is a key component of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, pore size controllable meso-TiO2 layers are prepared using spin coating of commercial TiO2 nanoparticle (NP) paste with added soft polymer templates (SPT) followed by removal of the SPT at 500 °C. The SPTs consist of swollen crosslinked polymer colloids (microgels, MGs) or a commercial linear polymer (denoted as LIN). The MGs and LIN were comprised of the same polymer, which was poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm). Large (L-MG) and small (S-MG) MG SPTs were employed to study the effect of the template size. The SPT approach enabled pore size engineering in one deposition step. The SPT/TiO2 nanoparticle films had pore sizes > 100 nm, whereas the average pore size was 37 nm for the control meso-TiO2 scaffold. The largest pore sizes were obtained using L-MG. SPT engineering increased the perovskite grain size in the same order as the SPT sizes: LIN < S-MG < L-MG and these grain sizes were larger than those obtained using the control. The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of the SPT/TiO2 devices were ∼20% higher than that for the control meso-TiO2 device and the PCE of the champion S-MG device was 18.8%. The PCE improvement is due to the increased grain size and more effective light harvesting of the SPT devices. The increased grain size was also responsible for the improved stability of the SPT/TiO2 devices. The SPT method used here is simple, scalable, and versatile and should also apply to other PSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Lian
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
| | - Muhamad Z Mokhtar
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
| | - Dongdong Lu
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
| | - Mingning Zhu
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
| | - Janet Jacobs
- Photon Science Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew B Foster
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew G Thomas
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
- Photon Science Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- The Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Ben F Spencer
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
- The Henry Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Shanglin Wu
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
| | - Chen Liu
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel W Hodson
- BioAFM Facility, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Stopford Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Smith
- SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University Bay Campus, Swansea SA1 8EN, United Kingdom
| | - Abdulaziz Alkaltham
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
| | - Osama M Alkhudhari
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
| | - Trystan Watson
- SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University Bay Campus, Swansea SA1 8EN, United Kingdom
| | - Brian R Saunders
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 3BB, United Kingdom
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Lohmann K, Patel JB, Rothmann MU, Xia CQ, Oliver RDJ, Herz LM, Snaith HJ, Johnston MB. Control over Crystal Size in Vapor Deposited Metal-Halide Perovskite Films. ACS ENERGY LETTERS 2020; 5:710-717. [PMID: 32296733 PMCID: PMC7147257 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.0c00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and controlling grain growth in metal halide perovskite polycrystalline thin films is an important step in improving the performance of perovskite solar cells. We demonstrate accurate control of crystallite size in CH3NH3PbI3 thin films by regulating substrate temperature during vacuum co-deposition of inorganic (PbI2) and organic (CH3NH3I) precursors. Films co-deposited onto a cold (-2 °C) substrate exhibited large, micrometer-sized crystal grains, while films that formed at room temperature (23 °C) only produced grains of 100 nm extent. We isolated the effects of substrate temperature on crystal growth by developing a new method to control sublimation of the organic precursor, and CH3NH3PbI3 solar cells deposited in this way yielded a power conversion efficiency of up to 18.2%. Furthermore, we found substrate temperature directly affects the adsorption rate of CH3NH3I, thus impacting crystal formation and hence solar cell device performance via changes to the conversion rate of PbI2 to CH3NH3PbI3 and stoichiometry. These findings offer new routes to developing efficient solar cells through reproducible control of crystal morphology and composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kilian
B. Lohmann
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Jay B. Patel
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Mathias Uller Rothmann
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Chelsea Q. Xia
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Robert D. J. Oliver
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Laura M. Herz
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Henry J. Snaith
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PU, United Kingdom
| | - Michael B. Johnston
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PU, United Kingdom
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41
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Liu X, Li J, Liu Z, Tan X, Sun B, Xi S, Shi T, Tang Z, Liao G. Vapor-assisted deposition of CsPbIBr2 films for highly efficient and stable carbon-based planar perovskite solar cells with superior Voc. Electrochim Acta 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.135266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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42
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Shi P, Ding Y, Ren Y, Shi X, Arain Z, Liu C, Liu X, Cai M, Cao G, Nazeeruddin MK, Dai S. Template-Assisted Formation of High-Quality α-Phase HC(NH 2) 2PbI 3 Perovskite Solar Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2019; 6:1901591. [PMID: 31728291 PMCID: PMC6839747 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201901591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Formamidinium (FA) lead halide (α-FAPbI3) perovskites are promising materials for photovoltaic applications because of their excellent light harvesting capability (absorption edge 840 nm) and long carrier diffusion length. However, it is extremely difficult to prepare a pure α-FAPbI3 phase because of its easy transformation into a nondesirable δ-FAPbI3 phase. In the present study, a "perovskite" template (MAPbI3-FAI-PbI2-DMSO) structure is used to avoid and suppress the formation of δ-FAPbI3 phases. The perovskite structure is formed via postdeposition involving the treatment of colloidal MAI-PbI2-DMSO film with FAI before annealing. In situ X-ray diffraction in vacuum shows no detectable δ-FAPbI3 phase during the whole synthesis process when the sample is annealed from 100 to 180 °C. This method is found to reduce defects at grain boundaries and enhance the film quality as determined by means of photoluminescence mapping and Kelvin probe force microscopy. The perovskite solar cells (PSCs) fabricated by this method demonstrate a much-enhanced short-circuit current density ( J sc) of 24.99 mA cm-2 and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.24%, which is the highest efficiency reported for pure FAPbI3, with great stability under 800 h of thermal ageing and 500 h of light soaking in nitrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengju Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy SourcesNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
| | - Yong Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy SourcesNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
| | - Yingke Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy SourcesNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
| | - Xiaoqiang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy SourcesNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
| | - Zulqarnain Arain
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy SourcesNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
| | - Cheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy SourcesNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
| | - Xuepeng Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
| | - Molang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy SourcesNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
| | - Guozhong Cao
- Institute of Materials Science & EngineeringUniversity of WashingtonSeattle98195USA
| | - Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin
- Group for Molecular Engineering of Functional Materials Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)CH‐1951SionSwitzerland
| | - Songyuan Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy SourcesNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Novel Thin‐Film Solar CellsBeijing Key Laboratory of Energy Safety and Clean UtilizationNorth China Electric Power UniversityBeijing102206China
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43
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Li B, Binks D, Cao G, Tian J. Engineering Halide Perovskite Crystals through Precursor Chemistry. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1903613. [PMID: 31650696 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The composition, crystallinity, morphology, and trap-state density of halide perovskite thin films critically depend on the nature of the precursor solution. A fundamental understanding of the liquid-to-solid transformation mechanism is thus essential to the fabrication of high-quality thin films of halide perovskite crystals for applications such as high-performance photovoltaics and is the topic of this Review. The roles of additives on the evolution of coordination complex species in the precursor solutions and the resulting effect on perovskite crystallization are presented. The influence of colloid characteristics, DMF/DMSO-free solutions and the degradation of precursor solutions on the formation of perovskite crystals are also discussed. Finally, the general formation mechanism of perovskite thin films from precursor solutions is summarized and some questions for further research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - David Binks
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Photon Science Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Guozhong Cao
- Department of Materials and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-2120, USA
| | - Jianjun Tian
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
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Muscarella L, Hutter EM, Sanchez S, Dieleman CD, Savenije TJ, Hagfeldt A, Saliba M, Ehrler B. Crystal Orientation and Grain Size: Do They Determine Optoelectronic Properties of MAPbI 3 Perovskite? J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:6010-6018. [PMID: 31542932 PMCID: PMC6801854 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b02757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Growing large, oriented grains of perovskite often leads to efficient devices, but it is unclear if properties of the grains are responsible for the efficiency. Domains observed in SEM are commonly misidentified with crystallographic grains, but SEM images do not provide diffraction information. We study methylammoinium lead iodide (MAPbI3) films fabricated via flash infrared annealing (FIRA) and the conventional antisolvent (AS) method by measuring grain size and orientation using electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) and studying how these affect optoelectronic properties such as local photoluminescence (PL), charge carrier lifetimes, and mobilities. We observe a local enhancement and shift of the PL emission at different regions of the FIRA clusters, but we observe no effect of crystal orientation on the optoelectronic properties. Additionally, despite substantial differences in grain size between the two systems, we find similar optoelectronic properties. These findings show that optoelectronic quality is not necessarily related to the orientation and size of crystalline domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreta
A. Muscarella
- Center
for Nanophotonics, AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eline M. Hutter
- Center
for Nanophotonics, AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sandy Sanchez
- Laboratory
of Photomolecular Science (LSPM), École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian D. Dieleman
- Center
for Nanophotonics, AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom J. Savenije
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Delft University
of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Anders Hagfeldt
- Laboratory
of Photomolecular Science (LSPM), École
Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 6, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael Saliba
- Institute
of Materials Science Technical, University
of Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse
2, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- IEK-5
Photovoltaik, Forschungszentrum Jülich
GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Bruno Ehrler
- Center
for Nanophotonics, AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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45
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Li W, Long R, Tang J, Prezhdo OV. Influence of Defects on Excited-State Dynamics in Lead Halide Perovskites: Time-Domain ab Initio Studies. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:3788-3804. [PMID: 31244263 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This Perspective summarizes recent research into the excited-state dynamics in lead halide perovskites that are of paramount importance for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. Nonadiabatic molecular dynamics combined with time-domain ab initio density functional theory allows one to mimic time-resolved spectroscopy experiments at the atomistic level of detail. The focus is placed on realistic aspects of perovskite materials, including point defects, surfaces, grain boundaries, mixed stoichiometries, dopants, and interfaces. The atomistic description of the quantum dynamics of electron and hole trapping and recombination, provided by the time-domain ab initio simulations, generates important insights into the mechanisms of charge and energy losses and guides the development of high-performance perovskite solar cell devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- College of Science , Hunan Agricultural University , Changsha 410128 , People's Republic of China
| | - Run Long
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jianfeng Tang
- College of Science , Hunan Agricultural University , Changsha 410128 , People's Republic of China
| | - Oleg V Prezhdo
- Department of Chemistry , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , California 90089 , United States
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Aydin E, De Bastiani M, De Wolf S. Defect and Contact Passivation for Perovskite Solar Cells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2019; 31:e1900428. [PMID: 31062907 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201900428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Metal-halide perovskites are rapidly emerging as an important class of photovoltaic absorbers that may enable high-performance solar cells at affordable cost. Thanks to the appealing optoelectronic properties of these materials, tremendous progress has been reported in the last few years in terms of power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), now with record values in excess of 24%. Nevertheless, the crystalline lattice of perovskites often includes defects, such as interstitials, vacancies, and impurities; at the grain boundaries and surfaces, dangling bonds can also be present, which all contribute to nonradiative recombination of photo-carriers. On device level, such recombination undesirably inflates the open-circuit voltage deficit, acting thus as a significant roadblock toward the theoretical efficiency limit of 30%. Herein, the focus is on the origin of the various voltage-limiting mechanisms in PSCs, and possible mitigation strategies are discussed. Contact passivation schemes and the effect of such methods on the reduction of hysteresis are described. Furthermore, several strategies that demonstrate how passivating contacts can increase the stability of PSCs are elucidated. Finally, the remaining key challenges in contact design are prioritized and an outlook on how passivating contacts will contribute to further the progress toward market readiness of high-efficiency PSCs is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Aydin
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Michele De Bastiani
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Stefaan De Wolf
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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47
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Wang Y, Fang WH, Long R, Prezhdo OV. Symmetry Breaking at MAPbI 3 Perovskite Grain Boundaries Suppresses Charge Recombination: Time-Domain ab Initio Analysis. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:1617-1623. [PMID: 30892907 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The influence of grain boundaries (GBs) on charge carrier lifetimes in methylammonium lead triiodide perovskite (MAPbI3) remains unclear. Some experiments suggest that GBs promote rapid nonradiative decay and deteriorate device performance, while other measurements indicate that charge recombination happens primarily in non-GB regions and that GBs facilitate charge separation and collection. By combining time-domain density functional theory and nonadiabatic (NA) molecular dynamics, we demonstrate that charge separation and localization happening at MAPbI3 GBs due to symmetry breaking suppresses charge recombination. Even though GBs lower the MAPbI3 bandgap and charge localization enhances interactions with phonons, electron-hole separation decreases the NA coupling, and the excited state lifetime remains virtually unchanged compared to the pristine perovskite. Our study rationalizes how GBs can have a positive influence on perovskite optoelectronic properties and advances fundamental understanding of charge carrier dynamics in these fascinating materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Wang
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , P. R. China
| | - Wei-Hai Fang
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , P. R. China
| | - Run Long
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , P. R. China
| | - Oleg V Prezhdo
- Department of Chemistry , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , California 90089 , United States
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