Stable ultra-fast broad-bandwidth photodetectors based on α-CsPbI3 perovskite and NaYF4:Yb,Er quantum dots

Highly efficient and stable near-infrared photodetectors enabled from passivated tin-lead hybrid perovskites

Tin-lead perovskite-based photodetectors have a wide light-absorption wavelength range, which spans 1000 nm. However, the preparation of the mixed tin-lead perovskite films faces two great obstacles, namely easy oxidation of Sn²⁺to Sn⁴⁺and fast crystallization from tin-lead perovskite precursor solutions, thus further resulting in poor morphology and high density of defects in tin-lead perovskite films. In this study, we demonstrated a high-performance of near-infrared photodetectors prepared from a stable low-bandgap (MAPbI₃)_0.5(FASnI₃)_0.5film modified with 2-fluorophenethylammonium iodide (2-F-PEAI). The addition engineering can efficiently improve the crystallization of (MAPbI₃)_0.5(FASnI₃)_0.5films through the coordination binding between Pb²⁺and N atom in 2-F-PEAI, and resulting in a uniform and dense (MAPbI₃)_0.5(FASnI₃)_0.5film. Moreover, 2-F-PEAI suppressed Sn²⁺oxidation and effectively passivated defects in the (MAPbI₃)_0.5(FASnI₃)_0.5film, thereby significantly reducing the dark current in the PDs. Consequently, the near-infrared photodetectors showed a high responsivity with a specific detectivity of over 10¹²Jones at 800 to near-1000 nm. Additionally, the stability of PDs incorporated with 2-F-PEAI has been significantly improved under air conditions, and the device with the 2-F-PEAI ratio of 400:1 retained 80% of its initial efficiency after 450 h storage in air without encapsulation. Finally, 5 × 5 cm²photodetector arrays were fabricated to demonstrate the potential utility of the Sn-Pb perovskite photodetector in optical imaging and optoelectronic applications.

Highly Efficient and Stable Self-Powered Mixed Tin-Lead Perovskite Photodetector Used in Remote Wearable Health Monitoring Technology

Realization of remote wearable health monitoring (RWHM) technology for the flexible photodiodes is highly desirable in remote-sensing healthcare systems used in space stations, oceans, and forecasting warning, which demands high external quantum efficiency (EQE) and detectivity in NIR region. Traditional inorganic photodetectors (PDs) are mechanically rigid and expensive while the widely reported solution-processed mixed tin-lead (MSP) perovskite photodetectors (PPDs) exhibit a trade-off between EQE and detectivity in the NIR region. Herein, a novel functional passivating antioxidant (FPA) strategy has been introduced for the first time to simultaneously improve crystallization, restrain Sn²⁺ oxidization, and reduce defects in MSP perovskite films by multiple interactions between thiophene-2-carbohydrazide (TAH) molecules and cations/anions in MSP perovskite. The resultant solution-processed rigid mixed Sn-Pb PPD simultaneously achieves high EQE (75.4% at 840 nm), detectivity (1.8 × 10¹² Jones at 840 nm), ultrafast response time (t_rise /t_fall = 94 ns/97 ns), and improved stability. This work also highlights the demonstration of the first flexible photodiode using MSP perovskite and FPA strategy with remarkably high EQE (75% at 840 nm), and operational stability. Most importantly, the RWHM is implemented for the first time in the PIN MSP perovskite photodiodes to remotely monitor the heart rate of humans at rest and after-run conditions.

2D Material and Perovskite Heterostructure for Optoelectronic Applications

Optoelectronic devices are key building blocks for sustainable energy, imaging applications, and optical communications in modern society. Two-dimensional materials and perovskites have been considered promising candidates in this research area due to their fascinating material properties. Despite the significant progress achieved in the past decades, challenges still remain to further improve the performance of devices based on 2D materials or perovskites and to solve stability issues for their reliability. Recently, a novel concept of 2D material/perovskite heterostructure has demonstrated remarkable achievements by taking advantage of both materials. The diverse fabrication techniques and large families of 2D materials and perovskites open up great opportunities for structure modification, interface engineering, and composition tuning in state-of-the-art optoelectronics. In this review, we present comprehensive information on the synthesis methods, material properties of 2D materials and perovskites, and the research progress of optoelectronic devices, particularly solar cells and photodetectors which are based on 2D materials, perovskites, and 2D material/perovskite heterostructures with future perspectives.

Stable and Efficient Red-Emitting Perovskite Cross-Shaped Nanoplates

The stable cross-shaped CsPbI₃ nanoplates (NPs) with red emission were achieved by chemical synthesis with the assistance of YCl₃. Y³⁺ replacing Pb²⁺ results in the anisotropic growth of the CsPbI₃ nanocrystal to form NPs. Four corners of the NPs dissolved, thus forming the cross-shaped NPs. The emission of NPs was shifted from near-infrared (690 nm) to red emission (640 nm) as the dopant amount of Y³⁺ increased. Y³⁺ widens the width of the bandgap, which is also proved by first-principles calculations. In addition, the Cl^- passivated the surface defects of the NPs, suppressing the nonradiative recombination. The NPs showed remarkable high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) of 96%. PLQY is even more than 60% when NPs have been stored in a glovebox for more than 90 days. The NPs with adjustable wavelength and enhanced stability have a huge application potential in the field of a high-definition display.

A Super-Boosted Hybrid Plasmonic Upconversion Process for Photodetection at 1550 nm Wavelength

A super-boosted hybrid plasmonic upconversion (UC) architecture comprising a hierarchical plasmonic upconversion (HPU) film and a polymeric microlens array (MLA) film is proposed for efficient photodetection at a wavelength of 1550 nm. Plasmonic metasurfaces and Au core-satellite nanoassembly (CSNA) films can strongly induce a more effective plasmonic effect by providing numerous hot spots in an intense local electromagnetic field up to wavelengths exceeding 1550 nm. Hence, significant UC emission enhancement is realized via the amplified plasmonic coupling of an HPU film comprising an Au CSNA and UC nanoparticles. Furthermore, an MLA polymer film is synergistically coupled with the HPU film, thereby focusing the incident near-infrared light in the micrometer region, including the plasmonic nanostructure area. Consequently, the plasmonic effect super-boosted by microfocusing the incident light, significantly lowers the detectable power limit of a device, resulting in superior sensitivity and responsivity at weak excitation powers. Finally, a triple-cation perovskite-based photodetector coupled with the hybrid plasmonic UC film exhibits the excellent values of responsivity and detectivity of 9.80 A W^-1 and 8.22 × 10¹² Jones at a weak power density of ≈0.03 mW cm^-2 , respectively, demonstrating that the device performance is enhanced by more than 10⁴ magnitudes over a reference sample.

Advances in fluorescence sensing enabled by lanthanide-doped upconversion nanophosphors

Lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), characterized by converting low-energy excitation to high-energy emission, have attracted considerable interest due to their inherent advantages of large anti-Stokes shifts, sharp and narrow multicolor emissions, negligible autofluorescence background interference, and excellent chemical- and photo-stability. These features make them promising luminophores for sensing applications. In this review, we give a comprehensive overview of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanophosphors including the fundamental principle for the construction of UCNPs with efficient upconversion luminescence (UCL), followed by state-of-the-art strategies for the synthesis and surface modification of UCNPs, and finally describing current advances in the sensing application of upconversion-based probes for the quantitative analysis of various analytes including pH, ions, molecules, bacteria, reactive species, temperature, and pressure. In addition, emerging sensing applications like photodetection, velocimetry, electromagnetic field, and voltage sensing are highlighted.

Ultrahigh-Performance Optoelectronic Skin Based on Intrinsically Stretchable Perovskite-Polymer Heterojunction Transistors

The optoelectronic skin is acknowledged as the world's current cutting-edge technology in the fields of wearable healthcare monitoring, soft robotics, artificial retinas, and so on. However, the difficulty in preparing stretchable photosensitive polymers and the high-crystallization nature of most reported photosensitive materials (such as perovskites) severely restrict the development of skin-like optoelectronic devices. Herein, a surface energy-induced self-assembly methodology is proposed to form easily transferrable and flexible perovskite quantum dot (PQD) films with a worm-like morphology. Furthermore, intrinsically stretchable phototransistors (ISTPTs) are fabricated based on a stretchable photosensitive layer heterojunction consisting of worm-like PQD films and hybrid polymer semiconductors. The obtained ISTPTs display highly sensitive response to high-energy photons of X-ray (with a detection limit of 79 nGy s^-1 , that is 560 times lower than commercial medical chest X-ray diagnosis) and ultraviolet (with photosensitivity of 5 × 10⁶ and detectable light intensity of 50 nW cm^-2 among the highest performance of reported photodetectors). In addition, these ISTPTs demonstrate desirable e-skin characteristics with high strain tolerance, high sensing specificity, high optical transparency, and good skin conformability. The surface energy-induced self-assembly methodology for the preparation of ISTPTs is a critical demonstration to enable low-cost and high-performance optoelectronic skins.

Surface Chemistry Engineering of Perovskite Quantum Dots: Strategies, Applications, and Perspectives

The presence of surface ligands not only plays a key role in keeping the colloidal integrity and non-defective surface of metal halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), but also serves as a knob to tune their optoelectronic properties for a variety of exciting applications including solar cells and light-emitting diodes. However, these indispensable surface ligands may also deteriorate the stability and key properties of PQDs due to their highly dynamic binding and insulating nature. To address these issues, a number of innovative surface chemistry engineering approaches have been developed in the past few years. Based on an in-depth fundamental understanding of the surface atomistic structure and surface defect formation mechanism in the tiny nanoparticles, a critical overview focusing on the surface chemistry engineering of PQDs including advanced colloidal synthesis, in-situ surface passivation, and solution-phase/solid-state ligand exchange is presented, after which their unprecedented achievements in photovoltaics and other optoelectronics are presented. The practical hurdles and future directions are critically discussed to inspire more rational design of PQD surface chemistry toward practical applications.

Low-Dimensional Metal Halide Perovskite Photodetectors

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have been a hot research topic due to their facile synthesis, excellent optical and optoelectronic properties, and record-breaking efficiency of corresponding optoelectronic devices. Nowadays, the development of miniaturized high-performance photodetectors (PDs) has been fueling the demand for novel photoactive materials, among which low-dimensional MHPs have attracted burgeoning research interest. In this report, the synthesis, properties, photodetection performance, and stability of low-dimensional MHPs, including 0D, 1D, 2D layered and nonlayered nanostructures, as well as their heterostructures are reviewed. Recent advances in the synthesis approaches of low-dimensional MHPs are summarized and the key concepts for understanding the optical and optoelectronic properties related to the PD applications of low-dimensional MHPs are introduced. More importantly, recent progress in novel PDs based on low-dimensional MHPs is presented, and strategies for improving the performance and stability of perovskite PDs are highlighted. By discussing recent advances, strategies, and existing challenges, this progress report provides perspectives on low-dimensional MHP-based PDs in the future.

Challenges and strategies relating to device function layers and their integration toward high-performance inorganic perovskite solar cells

Parallel to the flourishing of inorganic-organic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the development of inorganic cesium-based metal halide PSCs (CsPbX₃) is accelerating, with power conversion efficiency (PCE) values of over 20% being obtained. Although CsPbX₃ possesses numerous merits, such as superior thermal stability and great potential for use in tandem solar cells, severe challenges remain, such as its phase instability, trap state density, and absorption range limitations, hindering further performance improvements and commercialization. This review summarizes challenges and strategies relating to each device functional layer and their integration for the purposes of performance improvement and commercialization, utilizing the fundamental configuration of a perovskite photo-absorption layer, electron transport layer (ETL), and hole transport layer (HTL ). In detail, we first analyze comprehensively strategies for designing high-quality CsPbX₃ perovskite films, including precursor engineering, element doping, and post-treatment, followed by discussing the precise control of the CsPbX₃ film fabrication process. Then, we introduce and analyze the carrier dynamics and interfacial modifications of inorganic ETLs, such as TiO₂, SnO₂, ZnO, and other typical organic ETLs with p-i-n configuration. The pros and cons of inorganic and organic HTLs are then discussed from the viewpoints of stability and band structure. Subsequently, promising candidates, i.e., HTL-free carbon-electrode-based inorganic CsPbX₃ PSCs, that meet the "golden triangle" criteria used by the PSC community are reviewed, followed by discussion of other obstacles, such as hysteresis and large-scale fabrication, that lie on the road toward PSC commercialization. Finally, some perspectives relating to solutions to development bottlenecks are proposed, with the attempt to gain insight into CsPbX₃ PSCs and inspire future research prospects.

Unveiling the Effects of Hydrolysis-Derived DMAI/DMAPbI x Intermediate Compound on the Performance of CsPbI3 Solar Cells

Introducing hydroiodic acid (HI) as a hydrolysis-derived precursor of the intermediate compounds has become an increasingly important issue for fabricating high quality and stable CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the materials composition of the intermediate compounds and their effects on the device performance remain unclear. Here, a series of high-quality intermediate compounds are prepared and it is shown that they consist of DMAI/DMAPbI x . Further characterization of the products show that the main component of this system is still CsPbI3. Most of the dimethylammonium (DMA+) organic component is lost during annealing. Only an ultrasmall amount of DMA+ is doped into the CsPbI3 and its structure is stabilized. Meanwhile, excessive DMA+ forms Lewis acid-base adducts and interactions with Pb2+ on the CsPbI3 surface. This process passivates the CsPbI3 film and decreases the recombination rate. Finally, CsPbI3 film is fabricated with high crystalline, uniform morphology, and excellent stability. Its corresponding PSC exhibits stable property and improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 17.3%.

Solution-Processed Inorganic Perovskite Flexible Photodetectors with High Performance

All inorganic CsPbI_3-xBr_x perovskites have been widely used in photodetectors due to their excellent optoelectronic properties and simple preparation processes. Here, high-performance flexible photodetectors based on inorganic CsPbI_3-xBr_x perovskites are demonstrated, which are achieved by a modified solution-processed method. When biased at a low voltage of 10 mV, the device yielded fast response speeds (90 μs /110 μs for CsPbI₂Br PDs and 100 μs/140 μs for CsPbIBr₂ PDs), a high on/off ratio of 10⁴, and a high detectivity about 10¹² Jones. Meanwhile, the devices showed outstanding environmental stability and mechanical flexibility. The periodic I-t curves had negligible fluctuation (< 5%) after storing in air atmosphere for 30 days or bending for 100 times. The results indicate that CsPbI_3-xBr_x perovskites have great potential in photodetection areas and pave the way to achieve high-performance flexible PDs.

Strategies toward High-Performance Solution-Processed Lateral Photodetectors

Due to their low cost and ease of integration, solution-processed lateral photodetectors (PDs) are becoming an important device type among the PD family. In recent years, enormous effort has been devoted to improving their performances, and great achievements have been made. A summary of the core progress, especially from the perspective of design principles and device physics, is necessary to further the development of the field, but is currently lacking. Here, to address this need, first, the working mechanism of PDs and the device figures-of-merit are introduced. Second, by classifying the active materials into four categories, including inorganic, organic, hybrid, and perovskite, the developed strategies toward high performance are discussed respectively. To close, the common physical rules behind all these strategies are generalized, and suggestions for future development are given accordingly.

Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals for Next-Generation Optoelectronics

Colloidal perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) combine the outstanding optoelectronic properties of bulk perovskites with strong quantum confinement effects at the nanoscale. Their facile and low-cost synthesis, together with superior photoluminescence quantum yields and exceptional optical versatility, make PNCs promising candidates for next-generation optoelectronics. However, this field is still in its early infancy and not yet ready for commercialization due to several open challenges to be addressed, such as toxicity and stability. Here, the key synthesis strategies and the tunable optical properties of PNCs are discussed. The photophysical underpinnings of PNCs, in correlation with recent developments of PNC-based optoelectronic devices, are especially highlighted. The final goal is to outline a theoretical scaffold for the design of high-performance devices that can at the same time address the commercialization challenges of PNC-based technology.

O2 as a molecular probe for nonradiative surface defects in CsPbBr3 perovskite nanostructures and single crystals

Lead halide perovskites, owing to their flexible, scalable chemistry and promising physical properties are attracting increasing attention for solution-processed optoelectronic and photonic technologies. Despite their well-known 'defect tolerant' electronic structure, studies highlighted the active role of shallow and deep defect states, as well as of oxidative environmental conditions, on the optical and electrical behavior of perovskite nanocubes, films and single bulk crystals. To date, however, no in-depth systematic study of the surface trap-mediated processes in perovskite materials of different dimensionality has been conducted. In this work, we aim to bridge this gap by using O2 as a molecular probe for the effects of surface states on the exciton recombination processes of nanocubes (NCs), nanowires (NWs), nanosheets (NSs) and bulk single crystals (SCs) of CsPbBr3 perovskite. Continuous wave and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) experiments in a controlled O2 atmosphere reveal the opposite optical response of NCs with respect to higher dimensional perovskites directly deriving from the different nature of the material surfaces. Specifically, O2 passivates surface hole-traps in NWs, NSs and SCs, leading to PL brightening with unaltered recombination dynamics. Conversely, NCs appear to be free from such surface hole-traps and exposure to O2 leads to direct extraction of photogenerated electrons that competes with radiative exciton recombination, leading to dimmed PL efficiency in atmospheric conditions. This opposite oxygen PL response demystifies the critical role of surface passivation in perovskite NCs in stark contrast to higher dimensional nanostructures and single crystals.

Iodine-Optimized Interface for Inorganic CsPbI2Br Perovskite Solar Cell to Attain High Stabilized Efficiency Exceeding 14

Recently, inorganic CsPbI2Br perovskite is attracting ever-increasing attention for its outstanding optoelectronic properties and ambient phase stability. Here, an efficient CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cell (PSC) is developed by: 1) using a dimension-grading heterojunction based on a quantum dots (QDs)/bulk film structure, and 2) post-treatment of the CsPbI2Br QDs/film with organic iodine salt to form an ultrathin iodine-ion-enriched perovskite layer on the top of the perovskite film. It is found that the above procedures generate proper band edge bending for improved carrier collection, resulting in effectively decreased recombination loss and improved hole extraction efficiency. Meanwhile, the organic capping layer from the iodine salt also surrounds the QDs and tunes the surface chemistry for further improved charge transport at the interface. As a result, the champion device achieves long-term stabilized power conversion efficiency beyond 14%.

All-inorganic cesium lead iodide perovskite solar cells with stabilized efficiency beyond 15

As the black cesium lead iodide (CsPbI₃) tends to transit into a yellow δ-phase at ambient, it is imperative to develop a stabilized black phase for photovoltaic applications. Herein, we report a distorted black CsPbI₃ film by exploiting the synergistic effect of hydroiodic acid (HI) and phenylethylammonium iodide (PEAI) additives. It is found that the HI induces formation of hydrogen lead iodide (HPbI_3+x), an intermediate to the distorted black phase with appropriate band gap of 1.69 eV; while PEAI provides nucleation for optimized crystallization. More importantly, it stabilizes the distorted black phase by hindering phase transition via its steric effects. Upon optimization, we have attained solar cell efficiency as high as 15.07%. Specifically, the bare cell without any encapsulation shows negligible efficiency loss after 300 h of light soaking. The device keeps 92% of its initial cell efficiency after being stored for 2 months under ambient conditions.

Black phase cesium lead iodide perovskite is regarded as a promising candidate for solar cells, but it easily transits to undesired yellow phase. Herein, Wang et al. stabilized the black phase using molecular additives to achieve device efficiency beyond 15% with high light soaking stability.

CsPbCl3-Driven Low-Trap-Density Perovskite Grain Growth for >20% Solar Cell Efficiency

Charge recombination in grain boundaries is a significant loss mechanism for perovskite (PVK) solar cells. Here, a new strategy is demonstrated to effectively passivate trap states at the grain boundaries. By introducing a thin layer of CsPbCl3 coating before the PVK deposition, a passivating layer of PbI2 is formed at the grain boundaries. It is found that at elevated temperature, Cl- ions in the CsPbCl3 may migrate into the PVK via grain boundaries, reacting with MA+ to form volatile MACl and leaving a surface layer of PbI2 at the grain boundary. Further study confirms that there is indeed a small amount of PbI2 distributed throughout the grain boundaries, resulting in increased photoluminescence intensity, increased carrier lifetime, and decreased trap state density. It is also found that the process passivates only grain surfaces, with no observable effect on the morphology of the PVK thin film. Upon optimization, the obtained PVK-film-based solar cell delivers a high efficiency of 20.09% with reduced hysteresis and excellent stability.

Hybrid Field-Effect Transistors and Photodetectors Based on Organic Semiconductor and CsPbI3 Perovskite Nanorods Bilayer Structure

The outstanding performances of nanostructured all-inorganic CsPbX₃ (X = I, Br, Cl) perovskites in optoelectronic applications can be attributed to their unique combination of a suitable bandgap, high absorption coefficient, and long carrier lifetime, which are desirable for photodetectors. However, the photosensing performances of the CsPbI₃ nanomaterials are limited by their low charge-transport efficiency. In this study, a phototransistor with a bilayer structure of an organic semiconductor layer of 2,7-dioctyl [1] benzothieno[3,2-b] [1] benzothiophene and CsPbI₃ nanorod layer was fabricated. The high-quality CsPbI₃ nanorod layer obtained using a simple dip-coating method provided decent transistor performance of the hybrid transistor device. The perovskite layer efficiently absorbs light, while the organic semiconductor layer acts as a transport channel for injected photogenerated carriers and provides gate modulation. The hybrid phototransistor exhibits high performance owing to the synergistic function of the photogating effect and field effect in the transistor, with a photoresponsivity as high as 4300 A W^-1, ultra-high photosensitivity of 2.2 × 10⁶, and excellent stability over 1 month. This study provides a strategy to combine the advantages of perovskite nanorods and organic semiconductors in fabrication of high-performance photodetectors.

Distinguishable Detection of Ultraviolet, Visible, and Infrared Spectrum with High-Responsivity Perovskite-Based Flexible Photosensors

Distinguishable detection of the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectrum is promising and significant for the super visual system of artificial intelligences. However, it is challenging to provide a photosensor with such broad spectral response ability. In this work, the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectrum is distinguished by developing serial photosensors based on perovskite/carbon nanotube hybrids. Oraganolead halide perovskites (CH₃ NH₃ PbX₃ ) possess remarkable optoelectronic properties and tunable optical band gaps by changing the halogens, and integration with single-walled carbon nanotubes can further improve their photoresponsivities. The CH₃ NH₃ PbCl₃ -based photosensor shows a responsivity up to 10⁵ A W^-1 to ultraviolet and no obvious response to visible light, which is superior to that of most ultraviolet sensors. The CH₃ NH₃ PbBr₃ -based photosensor exhibits a high responsivity to visible light. Serial devices of the two hybrid photosensors with comparable electric and sensory performances can distinguish the spectrum of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared even with varying light intensities. The photosensors also demonstrate excellent mechanical flexibility and bending stability. By taking full advantages of the oraganolead halide perovskites, this work provides flexible high-responsivity photosensors specialized for ultraviolet, and gives a simple strategy for distinguishable detection of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectrum based on the serial flexible photosensors.

Single-crystalline perovskite wafers with a Cr blocking layer for broad and stable light detection in a harsh environment

Herein, ultrathin (∼35 μm) CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) single-crystalline wafers have been successfully prepared by using an appropriate geometry-regulated dynamic-flow reaction system. The measurement results proved that the obtained wafers have high crystallinity, and showed broad light absorption from ultraviolet to near infrared (850 nm) which can be attributed to the indirect bandgap. Straight after, such an MAPbI3 wafer was used to fabricate high-quality photodetectors (PDs). On account of its faster carrier transport and significantly reduced defect density, the device exhibits a high photoresponse (R) of 5 A/W and short on/off response (0.039 s/0.017 s). Interestingly, by introducing a Cr interlayer between the MAPbI3 wafer and the Au electrode to avoid the migration of Au, the PD shows nearly no degradation when it works at 200 °C. Furthermore, the device performance shows very little degradation over the course of 60 days of storage under ambient conditions owing to its lack of grain boundaries. We believe the strategy reported here is very promising for achieving broad photodetection in a harsh environment.

All-Ambient Processed Binary CsPbBr3-CsPb2Br5 Perovskites with Synergistic Enhancement for High-Efficiency Cs-Pb-Br-Based Solar Cells

All-inorganic CsPbBr₃ perovskite solar cells display outstanding stability toward moisture, light soaking, and thermal stressing, demonstrating great potential in tandem solar cells and toward commercialization. Unfortunately, it is still challenging to prepare high-performance CsPbBr₃ films at moderate temperatures. Herein, a uniform, compact CsPbBr₃ film was fabricated using its quantum dot (QD)-based ink precursor. The film was then treated using thiocyanate ethyl acetate (EA) solution in all-ambient conditions to produce a superior CsPbBr₃-CsPb₂Br₅ composite film with a larger grain size and minimal defects. The achievement was attributed to the surface dissolution and recrystallization of the existing SCN^- and EA. More specifically, the SCN^- ions were first absorbed on the Pb atoms, leading to the dissolution and stripping of Cs⁺ and Br^- ions from the CsPbBr₃ QDs. On the other hand, the EA solution enhances the diffusion dynamics of surface atoms and the surfactant species. It is found that a small amount of CsPb₂Br₅ in the composite film gives the best surface passivation, while the Br-rich surface decreases Br vacancies (V_Br) for a prolonged carrier lifetime. As a result, the fabricated device gives a higher solar cell efficiency of 6.81% with an outstanding long-term stability.

Dual-Phase CsPbBr3 -CsPb2 Br5 Perovskite Thin Films via Vapor Deposition for High-Performance Rigid and Flexible Photodetectors

Inorganic perovskites with special semiconducting properties and structures have attracted great attention and are regarded as next generation candidates for optoelectronic devices. Herein, using a physical vapor deposition process with a controlled excess of PbBr₂ , dual-phase all-inorganic perovskite composite CsPbBr₃ -CsPb₂ Br₅ thin films are prepared as light-harvesting layers and incorporated in a photodetector (PD). The PD has a high responsivity and detectivity of 0.375 A W^-1 and 10¹¹ Jones, respectively, and a fast response time (from 10% to 90% of the maximum photocurrent) of ≈280 µs/640 µs. The device also shows an excellent stability in air for more than 65 d without encapsulation. Tetragonal CsPb₂ Br₅ provides satisfactory passivation to reduce the recombination of the charge carriers, and with its lower free energy, it enhances the stability of the inorganic perovskite devices. Remarkably, the same inorganic perovskite photodetector is also highly flexible and exhibits an exceptional bending performance (>1000 cycles). These results highlight the great potential of dual-phase inorganic perovskite films in the development of optoelectronic devices, especially for flexible device applications.

Doped Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals for Reabsorption-Free Luminescent Solar Concentrators

Halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are promising solution-processed emitters for low-cost optoelectronics and photonics. Doping adds a degree of freedom for their design and enables us to fully decouple their absorption and emission functions. This is paramount for luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) that enable fabrication of electrode-less solar windows for building-integrated photovoltaic applications. Here, we demonstrate the suitability of manganese-doped CsPbCl₃ NCs as reabsorption-free emitters for large-area LSCs. Light propagation measurements and Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the dopant emission is unaffected by reabsorption. Nanocomposite LSCs were fabricated via mass copolymerization of acrylate monomers, ensuring thermal and mechanical stability and optimal compatibility of the NCs, with fully preserved emission efficiency. As a result, perovskite LSCs behave closely to ideal devices, in which all portions of the illuminated area contribute equally to the total optical power. These results demonstrate the potential of doped perovskite NCs for LSCs, as well as for other photonic technologies relying on low-attenuation long-range optical wave guiding.

High-performance transparent ultraviolet photodetectors based on inorganic perovskite CsPbCl3 nanocrystals

Fully transparent ultraviolet photodetectors (PDs) based on the CsPbCl₃ nanocrystals (NCs) were fabricated for the first time.