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Murugan S, Lee EC. Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Application of Vacancy-Ordered Halide Double Perovskite Materials for Solar Cells: A Promising Alternative to Lead-Based Perovskites. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:5275. [PMID: 37569980 PMCID: PMC10420113 DOI: 10.3390/ma16155275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Lead-based halide perovskite materials are being developed as efficient light-absorbing materials for use in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). PSCs have shown remarkable progress in power conversion efficiency, increasing from 3.80% to more than 25% within a decade, showcasing their potential as a promising renewable energy technology. Although PSCs have many benefits, including a high light absorption coefficient, the ability to tune band gap, and a long charge diffusion length, the poor stability and the toxicity of lead represent a significant disadvantage for commercialization. To address this issue, research has focused on developing stable and nontoxic halide perovskites for use in solar cells. A potential substitute is halide double perovskites (HDPs), particularly vacancy-ordered HDPs, as they offer greater promise because they can be processed using a solution-based method. This review provides a structural analysis of HDPs, the various synthesis methods for vacancy-ordered HDPs, and their impact on material properties. Recent advances in vacancy-ordered HDPs are also discussed, including their role in active and transport layers of solar cells. Furthermore, valuable insights for developing high-performance vacancy-ordered HDP solar cells are reported from the detailed information presented in recent simulation studies. Finally, the potential of vacancy-ordered HDPs as a substitute for lead-based perovskites is outlined. Overall, the ability to tune optical and electronic properties and the high stability and nontoxicity of HDPs have positioned them as a promising candidate for use in photovoltaic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhosh Murugan
- Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Graduate School, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Cheol Lee
- Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Graduate School, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics, Gachon University, Seongnam-si 13120, Republic of Korea
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Sarkar R, Habib M, Pal S. Symmetrical Linkage in Porphyrin Nanoring Suppressed the Electron-Hole Recombination Demonstrated by Nonadiabatic Molecular Dynamics. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:7213-7219. [PMID: 35912962 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Macromolecular porphyrin nanorings are receiving significant attention because of their excellent optoelectronic properties. However, their efficiencies as potential solar materials are significantly affected by nonradiative charge recombination. To understand the recombination mechanism by alternating structural parameters and using tight-binding nonadiabatic molecular dynamics, we demonstrate that charge recombination depends strongly on the mode of the linker in the porphyrin nanoring. The nanoring having all-butadiyne-linkage (pristine-P8) inhibits carrier relaxation. In contrast, a partially fused nanoring (fused-P8) expedites the rate of quantum transition. An extension of the lifetime by a factor of 4 is due to the larger optical gap in pristine-P8 that reduces the NA coupling by decreasing the overlap between band edge states. Additionally, an intense phonon peak in the low-frequency region and rapid coherence loss within the electronic subsystem favors prolonging the carrier lifetime. This study provides an atomistic realization for the design of macromolecular porphyrin nanorings for the potential use in photovoltaic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritabrata Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Gour Banga, Malda 732103, India
- Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, Universität Bremen, Bremen 28359, Germany
| | - Md Habib
- Department of Chemistry, University of Gour Banga, Malda 732103, India
- Department of Chemistry, Sripat Singh College, Jiaganj 742122, India
| | - Sougata Pal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Gour Banga, Malda 732103, India
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Ma X, Li Z. The Important Role of Optical Absorption in Determining the Efficiency of Intermediate Band Solar Cells and a Design Principle for Perovskite Doping. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:2012-2018. [PMID: 35195001 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The efficiency of solar cells can be increased by introducing an intermediate band (IB) in the band gap. Considering that absorption within the band gap is typically weak, the efficiency of IB solar cells was overestimated previously, with a strong enough optical absorption assumed. Here, we propose a new formulism to calculate the limit of the efficiency of IB solar cells with the ideal absorption assumption removed, which can be used to evaluate the effect of absorption. New IB materials are designed via doping double perovskite, which has a relatively strong absorption within the band gap with both d-p and s-p transitions. The limit of the efficiency of a 2 μm thick Sn-doped Cs2AgBiBr6 is 38.6% under the AM1.5G spectrum, which is only ∼6% smaller than the ideal-absorption estimation. Results presented here provide a new dimension in the rational design of IB solar cell materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinbo Ma
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhenyu Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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Optimization of Hole and Electron Transport Layer for Highly Efficient Lead-Free Cs2TiBr6-Based Perovskite Solar Cell. PHOTONICS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/photonics9010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The methylammonium lead halide solar cell has attracted a great deal of attention due to its lightweight, low cost, and simple fabrication and processing. Despite these advantages, these cells are still far from commercialization because of their lead-based toxicity. Among lead-free perovskites, cesium-titanium (IV) bromide (Cs2TiBr6) is considered one of the best alternatives, but it faces a lack of higher PCE (power conversion efficiency) due to the unavailability of the matched hole and electron transport layers. Therefore, in this study, the ideal hole and electron transport layer parameters for the Cs2TiBr6-based solar cell were determined and discussed based on a simulation through SCAPS-1D software. It was observed that the maximum PCE of 20.4% could be achieved by using the proper hole and electron transport layers with optimized parameters such as energy bandgap, electron affinity, doping density, and thickness. Unfortunately, no hole and electron transport material with the required electronic structure was found. Then, polymer NPB and CeOx were selected as hole and electron transport layers, respectively, based on their closed electronic structure compared to the simulation results, and, hence, the maximum PCE was found as ~17.94% for the proposed CeOx/Cs2TiBr6/NPB solar cell.
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He JL, Zhu YH, Long R. Charge localization induced by reorientation of FA cations greatly suppresses nonradiative electron-hole recombination in FAPbI3 perovskites: A time-domain Ab Initio study. CHINESE J CHEM PHYS 2020. [DOI: 10.1063/1674-0068/cjcp2006109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-lu He
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yong-hao Zhu
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Run Long
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Xu Z, Zhang C, Yu F, Kamata Y, Hayase S, Ma T. Synthesis of Sb(V) Complexes with Pyridyl Cations and Application for Lead-free Perovskite Solar Cells. CHEM LETT 2020. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.200208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhua Xu
- Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Wakamutsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0196, Japan
| | - Chu Zhang
- China Jiliang University, No. 258, Xiasha Higher Education Zone, Hangzhou 310018, P. R. China
| | - Fengyang Yu
- Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Wakamutsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0196, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kamata
- Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Wakamutsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0196, Japan
| | - Shuzi Hayase
- Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Wakamutsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0196, Japan
| | - Tingli Ma
- Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Wakamutsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0196, Japan
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He J, Casanova D, Fang WH, Long R, Prezhdo OV. MAI Termination Favors Efficient Hole Extraction and Slow Charge Recombination at the MAPbI 3/CuSCN Heterojunction. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:4481-4489. [PMID: 32423207 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Photoinduced charge separation is the key step determining the efficiency of photon-to-electron conversion in solar cells, while charge carrier lifetimes govern the overall solar cell performance. Experiments report that copper(I) thiocyanate (CuSCN) is a very promising hole extraction layer for perovskite solar cells. Using nonadiabatic molecular dynamics combined with ab initio time-domain density functional theory, we show that termination of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) at MAPbI3/CuSCN heterojunctions has a strong influence on both charge separation and recombination. Both processes are favored by MAI termination, compared to PbI2 termination. Because the MAPbI3 valence band originates from iodine orbitals while the conduction band arises from Pb orbitals, MAI termination places holes close to CuSCN, favoring extraction, and creates an MAI barrier for recombination of electrons in MAPbI3 and holes in CuSCN. The opposite is true for PbI2 termination. The origin of these effects is attributed solely to the properties of the MAPbI3 surfaces, and therefore, the conclusions should apply to other hole-transporting materials and can be generalized to other perovskites. Importantly, the simulations show that the injected hole remains hot for several hundreds of femtoseconds, allowing it to escape the interfacial region and prevent formation of bound excitons. This study suggests that metal halide perovskites should be treated with an organic precursor, such as MAI, prior to the formation of their interfaces with hole-transporting materials. The reported results advance the fundamental understanding of the highly unusual properties of metal halide perovskites and provide specific guidelines for optimizing the performance of perovskite solar cells and other devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlu He
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
| | - David Casanova
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), 20018 Donostia, Euskadi, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Euskadi, Spain
| | - 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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Li W, Zhu S, Zhao Y, Qiu Y. Structure, electronic and optical properties of Cs2Ti(Br1-xYx)6 (Y = Cl, I; x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) perovskites: The first principles investigations. J SOLID STATE CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2020.121213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Smith B, Akimov AV. Modeling nonadiabatic dynamics in condensed matter materials: some recent advances and applications. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2020; 32:073001. [PMID: 31661681 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ab5246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on recent developments in the field of nonadiabatic molecular dynamics (NA-MD), with particular attention given to condensed-matter systems. NA-MD simulations for small molecular systems can be performed using high-level electronic structure (ES) calculations, methods accounting for the quantization of nuclear motion, and using fewer approximations in the dynamical methodology itself. Modeling condensed-matter systems imposes many limitations on various aspects of NA-MD computations, requiring approximations at various levels of theory-from the ES, to the ways in which the coupling of electrons and nuclei are accounted for. Nonetheless, the approximate treatment of NA-MD in condensed-phase materials has gained a spin lately in many applied studies. A number of advancements of the methodology and computational tools have been undertaken, including general-purpose methods, as well as those tailored to nanoscale and condensed matter systems. This review summarizes such methodological and software developments, puts them into the broader context of existing approaches, and highlights some of the challenges that remain to be solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, United States of America
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Yan H, Li Y, Li X, Wang B, Li M. Hot carrier relaxation in Cs 2TiI y Br 6-y ( y = 0, 2 and 6) by a time-domain ab initio study. RSC Adv 2020; 10:958-964. [PMID: 35494478 PMCID: PMC9048232 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06731k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cs2TiI y Br6-y is a potential light absorption material for all-inorganic lead free perovskite solar cells due to its suitable and tunable bandgap, high optical absorption coefficient and high environmental stability. However, solar cells fabricated based on Cs2TiI y Br6-y do not perform well, and the reasons for their low efficiency are still unclear. Herein, hot carrier relaxation processes in Cs2TiI y Br6-y (y = 0, 2 and 6) were investigated by a time-domain density functional theory combined with the non-adiabatic molecular dynamics method. It was found that the relaxation time of the hot carriers in Cs2TiI y Br6-y ranges from 2-3 ps, which indicates that the hot carriers within 10 nm from the Cs2TiI y Br6-y /TiO2 interface can be effectively extracted before their energy is lost completely. The carrier-phonon non-adiabatic coupling (NAC) analyses demonstrate that the longer hot electron relaxation time in Cs2TiI2Br4 compared with that in Cs2TiBr6 and Cs2TiI6 originates from its weaker NAC strength. Furthermore, the electron-phonon interaction analyses indicate that the relaxation of hot electrons mainly comes from the coupling between the electrons distributed on the Ti-X bonds and the Ti-X vibrations, and that of hot holes can be attributed to the coupling between the electrons distributed on the X atoms and the distortions of [TiI y Br6-y ]2-. The simulation results indicate that Cs2TiI2Br4 should be better than Cs2TiBr6 and Cs2TiI6 to act as a light absorption layer based on the hot carrier energy loss, and the hot electron relaxation time in Cs2TiI y Br6-y can be adjusted by tuning the proportion of the I element.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hejin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University Beijing China 102206
| | - Yingfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University Beijing China 102206
| | - Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University Beijing China 102206
| | - Bingxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University Beijing China 102206
| | - Meicheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University Beijing China 102206
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Shi R, Long R. Hole Localization Inhibits Charge Recombination in Tin-Lead Mixed Perovskites: Time-Domain ab Initio Analysis. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:6604-6612. [PMID: 31608643 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b02786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Using time domain density functional theory combined with nonadiabatic molecular dynamics, we demonstrate that the Sn dopants favor forming localized hole states with different extent at low and high doping concentrations, mimicking the small and large polarons, while retain the electron wave functions comparable with the pristine system, leading to nonadiabatic coupling decreasing by a factor of 45% and 38% and bandgap reduction by 0.04 and 0.27 eV, respectively. Furthermore, replacing heavier Pb with lighter Sn increases atomic fluctuations and accelerates loss of quantum coherence, in particular even faster at higher Sn doping concentration. As a result, the interplay among the bandgap, NA coupling, and decoherence time delays the electron-hole recombination by a factor of 3.5 and 1.3 at low and high doping concentration. Our study reveals the atomistic mechanisms of suppressed recombination dependence on Sn doping concentration, providing a new way to design high performance mixed perovskites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Shi
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , 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
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12
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Smith B, Akimov AV. A comparative analysis of surface hopping acceptance and decoherence algorithms within the neglect of back-reaction approximation. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:124107. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5122770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, USA
| | - Alexey V. Akimov
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, USA
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Wang Y, Long R. Anomalous Temperature-Dependent Charge Recombination in CH 3NH 3PbI 3 Perovskite: Key Roles of Charge Localization and Thermal Effect. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:32069-32075. [PMID: 31424190 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Optimizing metal halide perovskite solar cells necessitates understanding of nonradiative electron-hole recombination because it comprises a dominant route for charge and energy losses. In principle, the electron-hole recombination rate increases as temperature grows due to enhanced electron-phonon coupling. Experiments defy this expectation in MAPbI3 (MA = CH3NH3+). By performing nonadiabatic (NA) molecular dynamics analyses combined with time-domain density functional theory simulations, we demonstrate that nonradiative electron-hole recombination in MAPbI3 at high temperature occurs more slowly than that at low temperature. First and most important, increasing temperature enhances thermal disorder and leads to significant distortion of the inorganic Pb-I framework, giving rise to electron and hole wave functions locating spatial separation and reducing NA coupling by a factor of 28% in comparison with low temperature. Second, rising temperature enhances the thermal fluctuations of both the inorganic and organic components that accelerate decoherence process by a factor of 12%. Both factors, particularly the small NA coupling, contribute to suppressing electron-hole recombination at high temperature. The simulations show excellent agreement with experiments and emphasize how the charge localization driven by thermal effects impacts electron-hole recombination in perovskites and advances our understanding of the unusual charge dynamics.
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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 , PR China
| | - Run Long
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , 100875 , PR China
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Wang Y, Long R. Unravelling the Effects of Pressure-Induced Suppressed Electron-Hole Recombination in CsPbBr 3 Perovskite: Time-Domain ab Initio Analysis. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:4354-4361. [PMID: 31317740 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b01678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Using nonadiabatic (NA) molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate pressure-dependent electron-hole recombination in all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite. In particular, electron-hole recombination under 1 atm takes place in several hundred picoseconds, agreeing well with experiments. An increase of pressure causes PbBr6 octahedron distortion, including contraction of both Pb-Br-Pb angles and Pb-Br bond lengths, leading to a decrease in decoherence time and NA coupling and thus slowing electron-hole recombination. When the pressure reaches a critical pressure of 1.20 GPa, a phase transition occurs in which the charge carrier lifetime is longest and extends to several nanoseconds. When the pressure is increased over the threshold, the shrinkage of Pb-Br bond length is inhibited and the contraction of Pb-Br-Pb angles primarily induced the PbBr6 octahedron distortion. Such a situation gives rise to a mild NA coupling and decoherence time, restoring the recombination time to over half of a nanosecond. Our study uncovers the mechanisms for the pressure-suppressed charge recombination and provides an advanced route toward further development of photovoltaic performance of perovskite 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
| | - Run Long
- College of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Theoretical & Computational Photochemistry of Ministry of Education , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , 100875 , P.R. China
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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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