Ab initio modeling of 2D layered organohalide lead perovskites

Transition Metal Ions in Methylammonium Chloride Perovskites

Organic-inorganic perovskite materials have become star materials for future wide band gap optoelectronics due to their excellent optical and electrical properties. However, the lead ions inside perovskites have become a crucial environmental issue in the commercialization of wide band gap perovskite devices . This research tries to find the structure and properties of lead-free perovskite materials by screening Sn2+ and transition-metal ions to replace Pb2+ within the methylammonium (MA)-based chloride perovskite and find out a new two-dimensional structure of MA-based transition-metal ion chlorides. Overall, MAZnCl3 may be a potential ultraviolet-C luminescent material with a stable two-dimensional structure with a wide band gap of 5.64 eV, which is suitable for ultraviolet-C luminescence applications.

Ab initio nonadiabatic molecular dynamics of charge carriers in metal halide perovskites

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.

Dielectric confinement for designing compositions and optoelectronic properties of 2D layered hybrid perovskites

Two dimensional (2D) layered hybrid lead halide perovskites are a fascinating class of semiconductors displaying a plethora of interesting optoelectronic properties with potential for application in solar cells, light emitting diodes, etc. Most of these properties can be linked to their repeating quantum well-like structures providing 2D excitons. In this perspective, we discuss how dielectric confinement of excitons originates in these layered hybrid perovskites, and then, how it can be used to tune the excitonic properties. In particular, we discuss the recent theoretical and experimental advances correlating dielectric confinement with chemical composition, excitonic binding energy, and optoelectronic property. The freedom from the restrictions of the Goldsmith tolerance factor allows the synthesis of hundreds of compositions of 2D layered hybrid perovskites by independently varying the organic and inorganic layers. We envisage that the combination of this compositional flexibility with the concepts of dielectric confinement discussed in this perspective would be a path forward for designing novel optoelectronic materials.

Reversible multicolor chromism in layered formamidinium metal halide perovskites

Metal halide perovskites feature crystalline-like electronic band structures and liquid-like physical properties. The crystal–liquid duality enables optoelectronic devices with unprecedented performance and a unique opportunity to chemically manipulate the structure with low energy input. In this work, we leverage the low formation energy of metal halide perovskites to demonstrate multicolor reversible chromism. We synthesized layered Ruddlesden-Popper FA_n+1Pb_nX_3n+1 (FA = formamidinium, X = I, Br; n = number of layers = 1, 2, 3 … ∞) and reversibly tune the dimensionality (n) by modulating the strength and number of H-bonds in the system. H-bonding was controlled by exposure to solvent vapor (solvatochromism) or temperature change (thermochromism), which shuttles FAX salt pairs between the FA_n+1Pb_nX_3n+1 domains and adjacent FAX “reservoir” domains. Unlike traditional chromic materials that only offer a single-color transition, FA_n+1Pb_nX_3n+1 films reversibly switch between multiple colors including yellow, orange, red, brown, and white/colorless. Each colored phase exhibits distinct optoelectronic properties characteristic of 2D superlattice materials with tunable quantum well thickness.

Metal halide perovskites feature crystalline-like electronic band structures and liquid-like physical properties that allow chemical manipulation of the structure with low energy input. Here, the authors leverage the low formation energy of 2D metal halide perovskites to demonstrate films that reversibly switch between multiple colors using tunable quantum well thickness.

One-step vapour phase growth of two-dimensional formamidinium-based perovskite and its hot carrier dynamics

Formamidinum lead iodide perovskite is one of the most promising materials for application in solar cells due to its narrow band gap and higher thermal stability. In this work, we demonstrate the facile synthesis of square-shaped formamidinium lead iodide single crystals on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates using a one-step vapour phase deposition method. Formamidinium lead iodide-based two-dimensional layered perovskite crystals were successfully synthesized by controlling the deposition conditions. These crystals exhibited a blue-shifted photoluminescence (PL) compared to the conventional formaminium lead iodide perovskite crystals. Power law fittings of the excitation power dependent PL spectra revealed that Auger heating becomes dominant at high excitation densities. In addition, we observed an asymmetric broadening of the PL peak tail at the high energy side, indicating light emission from hot carriers even under steady-state illumination conditions. Phonon-bottleneck effect and Auger heating were considered as the main mechanisms for retardation of hot carrier cooling. Further analysis of the high energy tails using Maxwell-Boltzmann fitting revealed hot-carrier temperatures as high as 690 K. Our findings provide an important aspect of the synthetic approach of perovskites for their potential application in hot carrier solar cells.

Ab initio modeling of 2D and quasi-2D lead organohalide perovskites with divalent organic cations and a tunable band gap

We describe theoretically the structure and properties of layered lead organohalide perovskites, considering purely bi-dimensional (2D) PbI₄ layers, and quasi-2D systems where the inorganic layers are formed by more than one lead iodide sheet. The intercalating organic dications were designed to have low lying virtual orbitals (LUMO), so as to induce in the perovskite the appearance of virtual bands, localized in the organic layer, either close to the inorganic conduction band bottom or valence band top, or in some cases in the middle of the inorganic band gap. Such a feature is quite uncommon for this class of materials, and deserves attention since it allows one to tune the effective band gap of the material, possibly leading to the absorption of visible light and influencing the optical properties deeply. We discuss the effect of functional groups on the organic cations, and of the different symmetries used in geometry optimizations: a careful analysis of the contributions to the dispersion curves and band gaps was performed. The charge carrier mobility is also discussed, computing the conductivity over relaxation time and the effective masses for all the systems, with particular attention to the features related to the unusual organic intra-gap bands. All the structures were optimized at the DFT level, with inclusion of dispersion effects; dispersion curves were computed with full relativistic potentials, and the band gaps corrected for long range coulombic effects at the GW level. A semiempirical approach, based on the integration of charge carrier group velocities over a dense grid of k-points, was used to compute the conductivities and effective masses.

Interfacial Electromechanics Predicts Phase Behavior of 2D Hybrid Halide Perovskites

Quasi-two-dimensional (2D) mixed-cation hybrid halide perovskites (A'₂A_N-1M_NX_3N+1; A' = large organic molecule with cationic group, A = [Cs⁺, CH₃NH₃⁺, HC(NH₂)₂⁺], M = [Pb, Sn, Ge], X = [I^-, Br^-, Cl^-]) have rapidly emerged as candidates to improve the structural stability and device lifetime of 3D perovskite semiconductor devices under operating conditions. The addition of the large A' cation to the traditional AMX₃ structure introduces several synthetic degrees of freedom and breaks M-X bonds, giving rise to peculiar critical phase behavior in the phase space of these complex materials. In this work, we propose a thermodynamic model parametrized by first-principles calculations to generate the phase diagram of 2D and quasi-2D perovskites (q-2DPKs) based on the mechanics and electrostatics of the interface between the A' cations and the metal halide octahedral network. Focusing on the most commonly studied methylammonium lead iodide system where A' is n-butylammonium (BA; CH₃(CH₂)₃NH₃⁺), we find that the apparent difficulty in synthesizing phase-pure samples with a stoichiometric index N > 5 can be attributed to the energetic competition between repulsion of opposing interfacial dipole layers and mechanical relaxation induced by interfacial stress. Our model shows quantitative agreement with experimental observations of the maximum phase-pure stoichiometric index (N_crit) and explains the nonmonotonic evolution of the lattice parameters with increasing stoichiometric index (N). This model is generalizable to the entire family of q-2DPKs and can guide the design of photovoltaic and optical materials that combine the structural stability of the q-2DPKs while retaining the charge carrier properties of their 3D counterparts.

Quantum and Dielectric Confinement Effects in Lower-Dimensional Hybrid Perovskite Semiconductors

Hybrid halide perovskites are now superstar materials leading the field of low-cost thin film photovoltaics technologies. Following the surge for more efficient and stable 3D bulk alloys, multilayered halide perovskites and colloidal perovskite nanostructures appeared in 2016 as viable alternative solutions to this challenge, largely exceeding the original proof of concept made in 2009 and 2014, respectively. This triggered renewed interest in lower-dimensional hybrid halide perovskites and at the same time increasingly more numerous and differentiated applications. The present paper is a review of the past and present literature on both colloidal nanostructures and multilayered compounds, emphasizing that availability of accurate structural information is of dramatic importance to reach a fair understanding of quantum and dielectric confinement effects. Layered halide perovskites occupy a special place in the history of halide perovskites, with a large number of seminal papers in the 1980s and 1990s. In recent years, the rationalization of structure-properties relationship has greatly benefited from new theoretical approaches dedicated to their electronic structures and optoelectronic properties, as well as a growing number of contributions based on modern experimental techniques. This is a necessary step to provide in-depth tools to decipher their extensive chemical engineering possibilities which surpass the ones of their 3D bulk counterparts. Comparisons to classical semiconductor nanostructures and 2D van der Waals heterostructures are also stressed. Since 2015, colloidal nanostructures have undergone a quick development for applications based on light emission. Although intensively studied in the last two years by various spectroscopy techniques, the description of quantum and dielectric confinement effects on their optoelectronic properties is still in its infancy.

Combined solid-state NMR, FT-IR and computational studies on layered and porous materials

Understanding the structure-property relationship of solids is of utmost relevance for efficient chemical processes and technological applications in industries. This contribution reviews the concept of coupling three well-known characterization techniques (solid-state NMR, FT-IR and computational methods) for the study of solid state materials which possess 2D and 3D architectures and discusses the way it will benefit the scientific communities. It highlights the most fundamental and applied aspects of the proactive combined approach strategies to gather information at a molecular level. The integrated approach involving multiple spectroscopic and computational methods allows achieving an in-depth understanding of the surface, interfacial and confined space processes that are beneficial for the establishment of structure-property relationships. The role of ssNMR/FT-IR spectroscopic properties of probe molecules in monitoring the strength and distribution of catalytic active sites and their accessibility at the porous/layered surface is discussed. Both experimental and theoretical aspects will be considered by reporting relevant examples. This review also identifies and discusses the progress, challenges and future prospects in the field of synthesis and applications of layered and porous solids.

Computational Design of Two-Dimensional Perovskites with Functional Organic Cations

Two-dimensional (2D) halide perovskites are a class of materials in which 2D layers of perovskite are separated by large organic cations. Conventionally, the 2D perovskites incorporate organic cations as spacers, but these organic cations also offer a route to introduce specific functionality in the material. In this work, we demonstrate, by density functional theory calculations, that the introduction of electron withdrawing and electron donating molecules leads to the formation of localized states, either in the organic or the inorganic part. Furthermore, we show that the energy of the bands located in the organic and inorganic parts can be tuned independently. The organic cation levels can be tuned by changing the electron withdrawing/donating character, whereas the energy levels in the inorganic part can be modified by varying the number of inorganic perovskite layers. This opens a new window for the design of 2D perovskites with properties tuned for specific applications.

Tuning the Optoelectronic Properties of Two-Dimensional Hybrid Perovskite Semiconductors with Alkyl Chain Spacers

Layered two-dimensional organo-metal halide perovskites are currently in the limelight, largely because their versatile chemical composition offers the promise of tunable photophysical properties. We report here on (time-dependent) density functional theory [(TD)DFT] calculations of alkyl-ammonium lead iodide perovskites, where significant changes in the electronic structure and optical properties are predicted when using long versus short alkyl chain spacers. The mismatch between the structural organization in the inorganic and organic layers is epitomized for dodecyl chains that adopt a supramolecular packing similar to that of polyethylene, at the cost of distorting the inorganic frame and, in turn, opening the electronic band gap. These results rationalize recent experimental data and demonstrate that the optoelectronic properties of layered halide perovskite semiconductors can be modified through the use of electronically inert organic saturated chains.

Excitonic Properties of Chemically Synthesized 2D Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Nanosheets

2D organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OIHPs) represent a unique class of materials with a natural quantum-well structure and quasi-2D electronic properties. Here, a versatile direct solution-based synthesis of mono- and few-layer OIHP nanosheets and a systematic study of their electronic structure as a function of the number of monolayers by photoluminescence and absorption spectroscopy are reported. The monolayers of various OIHPs are found to exhibit high electronic quality as evidenced by high quantum yield and negligible Stokes shift. It is shown that the ground exciton peak blueshifts by ≈40 meV when the layer thickness reduces from bulk to monolayer. It is also shown that the exciton binding energy remains effectively unchanged for (C₆ H₅ (CH₂ )₂ NH₃ )₂ PbI₄ with the number of layers. Similar trends are observed for (C₄ H₉ NH₃ )₂ PbI₄ in contrast to the previous report. Further, the photoluminescence lifetime is found to decrease with the number of monolayers, indicating the dominant role of surface trap states in nonradiative recombination of the electron-hole pairs.

How the Structures and Properties of Two-Dimensional Layered Perovskites MAPbI3 and CsPbI3 Vary with the Number of Layers

This work aims to explore the intrinsic properties of two-dimensional (2D)-layered perovskites, (PEA)₂PbI₄(N) and Cs₂PbI₄(N), and demonstrating how their structures and properties vary with N. The results reveal that both (PEA)₂PbI₄(N) and Cs₂PbI₄(N) are direct bandgap semiconductors, their band/optical gaps and exciton-binding energies vary linearly with 1/N at N ≥ 3, and the effective masses slowly vary with N. Compared to the bulk phases, the structures of ultrathin (PEA)₂PbI₄(N) are more flexible and deformable than Cs₂PbI₄(N). The giant spin-coupling effect greatly decreases the band gaps of both 2D materials; however, it only induces the spin splitting in the bands of (PEA)₂PbI₄(N). This work suggests that the ultrathin 2D materials can be a potential candidate for nano-optoelectronic devices, and that the nanoplates with N ≥ 3 could have similar performances with bulk materials in the carrier migration and exciton separation so that they can be effectively applied in photovoltaic cells.

Advances and Promises of Layered Halide Hybrid Perovskite Semiconductors

Layered halide hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOP) have been the subject of intense investigation before the rise of three-dimensional (3D) HOP and their impressive performance in solar cells. Recently, layered HOP have also been proposed as attractive alternatives for photostable solar cells and revisited for light-emitting devices. In this review, we combine classical solid-state physics concepts with simulation tools based on density functional theory to overview the main features of the optoelectronic properties of layered HOP. A detailed comparison between layered and 3D HOP is performed to highlight differences and similarities. In the same way as the cubic phase was established for 3D HOP, here we introduce the tetragonal phase with D_4h symmetry as the reference phase for 2D monolayered HOP. It allows for detailed analysis of the spin-orbit coupling effects and structural transitions with corresponding electronic band folding. We further investigate the effects of octahedral tilting on the band gap, loss of inversion symmetry and possible Rashba effect, quantum confinement, and dielectric confinement related to the organic barrier, up to excitonic properties. Altogether, this paper aims to provide an interpretive and predictive framework for 3D and 2D layered HOP optoelectronic properties.