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Halide Perovskites as Emergent Semiconductors: Materials Preparation, Basic Physics and Possible Applications

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Physics General".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 31150

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Dr. Marco Anni

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Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica Ennio de Giorgi, Universita del Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: conjugated molecules; lead halide perovskites; amplified spontaneous emission; confocal spectroscopy
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Dr. Maria Luisa De Giorgi

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Guest Editor

Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica Ennio de Giorgi, Universita del Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Interests: optical spectroscopy; laser–matter interaction; scanning electron microscopy; X-ray microanalysis
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Dear Colleagues,

Lead halide perovskite thin films have been receiving increasing attention in the last few years, initially stimulated by the impressive improvement in the performance of perovskite solar cells, recently reaching a record power conversion efficiency close to 23 %.

Beyond the excellent photovoltaic properties, lead halide perovskites also show excellent optical properties, including high photoluminescence quantum yield (QY), tunable emission from the blue to the near infrared, and high optical gains at room temperature. All these properties, together with the possibility of the realization of thin films from solutions, make halide perovskites the most promising novel class of semiconductor for photonics and optoelectronic applications.

The research into perovskite is very broad and includes the development of methods for active materials synthesis and their deposition, the investigation of fundamental electronic properties, and the realization, characterization and optimization of solar cells, light emitting diodes and optically pumped lasers.

Concerning the materials development, different families of perovskites have been realized to date, including organic–inorganic lead halides, fully inorganic lead halides, and lead-free perovskites, allowing the realization of both solution-processed bulk thin films and of nanocrystals with a controlled shape, size and chemical composition.

It is also interesting that even if some of these materials have been exploited for the realization of devices with quickly improving performance, many basic aspects of the photophysics of perovskites are still unclear and the subject of debate, like the nature of the emitting species (excitons or free carriers), the role of defects, and the origin of the temperature dependence of the emission properties.

This Special Issue aims to describe the actual state of the art of the wide research on perovskite semiconductors, including the open issues that still require a fuller understanding, and possible future development directions.

Dr. Marco Anni
Dr. Maria Luisa de Giorgi
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2866 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Effect of Extended Ball-Milling upon Three-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Perovskite Crystals Properties

by Sara Bonomi, Vincenza Armenise, Gianluca Accorsi, Silvia Colella, Aurora Rizzo, Francesco Fracassi, Lorenzo Malavasi and Andrea Listorti

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(14), 4775; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10144775 - 11 Jul 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3791

Abstract

The ball-milling of materials is a mechanical grinding method that has different effects on treated materials, and can be used for the direct synthesis of organometal halide perovskite (OHP) crystals. Herein, the effect of such a process, extended over a large temporal window, is related to the properties of referential three-dimensional (3D) MAPbI₃ (MA = methylammonium) and two-dimensional (2D) PEA₂PbI₄ (PEA = phenylethylammonium) perovskite crystals. For both 2D and 3D systems, the ball-milling induces a reduction of the crystallite dimension, accompanied by a worsening of the overall crystallinity, but without any sign of amorphization. For MAPbI₃, an intriguing room temperature structural transition, from tetragonal to cubic, is observed. The processing in both cases impacts on the morphology, with a reduction of the crystal shape quality connected to the particles’ agglomeration tendency. All these effects translate to a “blue shift” of the absorption and emission features, suggesting the use of this technique to modulate the 3D and 2D OHPs’ properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Halide Perovskites as Emergent Semiconductors: Materials Preparation, Basic Physics and Possible Applications)

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10 pages, 791 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Investigation of the Role of the Environment on the Photoluminescence and the Exciton Relaxation of CsPbBr₃ Nanocrystals Thin Films

by Marco Anni, Arianna Cretì, Yuhai Zhang, Maria Luisa De Giorgi and Mauro Lomascolo

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2148; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10062148 - 21 Mar 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2595

Abstract

In this work, we present a detailed optical investigation of the effects of the environment on the photoluminescence (PL) spectra and the relaxation dynamics of pristine and aged CsPbBr₃ nanocrystal (NC) thin films. We demonstrate that, contrary to previous results on similar NCs, the PL intensity of pristine NCs is higher when the sample is in wet air than in vacuum, due to the passivation of defects reducing the free exciton trapping and the bound excitons non-radiative relaxation. The aged NCs show a PL intensity increase in wet air nine times stronger than the pristine ones, due to an interplay between static and dynamic effects, increasing the number of emitting NCs and reducing the non-radiative recombination rate of free excitons. These results improve the understanding of the possible interactions between perovskite NCs and the environment, which could be relevant for the development of optical gas sensors exploiting perovskite NCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Halide Perovskites as Emergent Semiconductors: Materials Preparation, Basic Physics and Possible Applications)

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9 pages, 2136 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Solution Processed Polymer-ABX₄ Perovskite-Like Microcavities

by Paola Lova, Daniele Cortecchia, Cesare Soci and Davide Comoretto

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(23), 5203; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9235203 - 29 Nov 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3018

Abstract

Thanks to solution processability and broad emission in the visible spectral range, 2D hybrid perovskite-like materials are interesting for the realization of large area and flexible lighting devices. However, the deposition of these materials requires broad-spectrum solvents that can easily dissolve most of the commercial polymers and make perovskites incompatible with flexible photonics. Here, we demonstrated the integration of broadband-emitting (EDBE)PbCl₄ (where EDBE = 2,2-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylammonium)) thin films with a solution-processed polymer planar microcavities, employing a sacrificial polymer multilayer. This approach allowed for spectral and angular redistribution of the perovskite-like material, photoluminescence, that can pave the way to all-solution-processed and flexible lightning devices that do not require complex and costly fabrication techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Halide Perovskites as Emergent Semiconductors: Materials Preparation, Basic Physics and Possible Applications)

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10 pages, 1147 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Narrow Absorption in ITO-Free Perovskite Solar Cells for Sensing Applications Analyzed through Electromagnetic Simulation

by Mahmoud H. Elshorbagy, Alexander Cuadrado and Javier Alda

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(22), 4850; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9224850 - 13 Nov 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4216

Abstract

This work reports on a computational analysis of how a modified perovskite cell can work as a refractometric sensor by generating surface plasmon resonances at its front surface. Metal-dielectric interfaces are necessary to excite plasmonic resonances. However, if the transparent conductor (ITO) is replaced by a uniform metal layer, the optical absorption at the active layer decreases significantly. This absorption enhances again when the front metallic surface is nanostructured, adding a periodic extruded array of high aspect-ratio dielectric pyramids. This relief excites surface plasmon resonances through a grating coupling mechanism with the metal surface. Our design allows a selective absorption in the active layer of the cell with a spectral response narrower than 1 nm. The photo-current generated by the cells becomes the signal of the sensor. The device employs an opto-electronic interrogation method, instead of the well-known spectral acquisition scheme. The sensitivity and figure of merit (FOM) parameters applicable to refractometric sensors were adapted to this new situation. The design has been customized to sense variations in the index of refraction of air between 1.0 and 1.1. The FOM reaches a maximum value of 1005 RIU

^{- 1}

, which is competitive when considering some other advantages, as the easiness of the acquisition signal procedure and the total cost of the sensing system. All the geometrical and material parameters included in our design were selected considering the applicable fabrication constrains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Halide Perovskites as Emergent Semiconductors: Materials Preparation, Basic Physics and Possible Applications)

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11 pages, 4362 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Two-Photon Photoluminescence Properties of Organic Inorganic Hybrid Perovskites (C₆H₅CH₂NH₃)₂PbBr₄ and (C₆H₅CH₂NH₃)₂PbI₄

by Shuai Liu, Fang Li, Xiaobo Han, Litu Xu, Fuqiang Yao and Yahui Liu

Appl. Sci. 2018, 8(11), 2286; https://doi.org/10.3390/app8112286 - 19 Nov 2018

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3081

Abstract

Organic inorganic hybrid perovskites have potential applications in solar cells, electroluminescent devices and radiation detection because of their unique optoelectronic properties. In this paper, the perovskites (C₆H₅CH₂NH₃)₂PbBr₄ and (C₆H₅CH₂NH₃)₂PbI₄ were synthesized by solvent evaporation. The crystal structure, morphology, absorption spectrum, laser power dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and lifetime were studied. The results showed that the perovskites (C₆H₅CH₂NH₃)₂PbBr₄ and (C₆H₅CH₂NH₃)₂PbI₄ display a layered stacking structure of organic and inorganic components. The absorption peaks are located at 392 nm (3.16 eV) and 516 nm (2.40 eV), respectively. It was observed that the PL intensity and photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) increases with increasing laser power, and that the PL lifetime decreases with increasing laser power, which is mainly due to the non-geminate recombination. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Halide Perovskites as Emergent Semiconductors: Materials Preparation, Basic Physics and Possible Applications)

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Review

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30 pages, 8743 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Amplified Spontaneous Emission and Lasing in Lead Halide Perovskites: State of the Art and Perspectives

by Maria Luisa De Giorgi and Marco Anni

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(21), 4591; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9214591 - 29 Oct 2019

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 6758

Abstract

Lead halide perovskites are currently receiving increasing attention due to their potential to combine easy active layers fabrication, tunable electronic and optical properties with promising performance of optoelectronic and photonic device prototypes. In this paper, we review the main development steps and the current state of the art of the research on lead halide perovskites amplified spontaneous emission and on optically pumped lasers exploiting them as active materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Halide Perovskites as Emergent Semiconductors: Materials Preparation, Basic Physics and Possible Applications)

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25 pages, 7446 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review on Improving the Quality of Perovskite Films in Perovskite Solar Cells via the Weak Forces Induced by Additives

by Jien Yang, Songhua Chen, Jinjin Xu, Qiong Zhang, Hairui Liu, Zhiyong Liu and Mingjian Yuan

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(20), 4393; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9204393 - 17 Oct 2019

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6415

Abstract

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) employing organic-inorganic halide perovskite as active layers have attracted the interesting of many scientists since 2009. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) have pushed certified 25.2% in 2019 from initial 3.81% in 2009, which is much faster than that of any type of solar cell. In the process of optimization, many innovative approaches to improve the morphology of perovskite films were developed, aiming at elevate the power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as well as long-term stability. In the context of PSCs research, the perovskite precursor solutions modified with different additives have been extensively studied, with remarkable progress in improving the whole performance. In this comprehensive review, we focus on the forces induced by additives between the cations and anions of perovskite precursor, such as hydrogen bonds, coordination or some by-product (e.g., mesophase), which will lead to form intermediate adduct phases and then can be converted into high quality films. A compact uniform perovskite films can not only upgrade the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of devices but also improve the stability of PSCs under ambient conditions. Therefore, strategies for the implementation of additives engineering in perovskites precursor solution will be critical for the future development of PSCs. How to manipulate the weak forces in the fabrication of perovskite film could help to further develop high-efficiency solar cells with long-term stability and enable the potential of future practical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Halide Perovskites as Emergent Semiconductors: Materials Preparation, Basic Physics and Possible Applications)

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