Structural Distortion and Bandgap Increase of Two-Dimensional Perovskites Induced by Trifluoromethyl Substitution on Spacer Cations

Narrow-Linewidth Emission and Weak Exciton-Phonon Coupling in 2D Layered Germanium Halide Perovskites

The photophysical properties of low-dimensional metal-halide semiconductors and their tunability make them promising candidates for light-absorbing and emitting applications. Yet, the germanium-based halide perovskites to date lack desirable light-emitting properties, with so far only very broad, weak, and unstructured photoluminescence (PL) reported due to significant octahedral distortion. Here, the photophysical properties of the 2D layered Ruddlesden-Popper semiconductors (4F-PMA)2GeI4 and (4F-PMA)2PbI4 (4F-PMA: 4-F-phenylmethylammonium) are characterized and compared. Using a combination of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable temperature time-resolved PL, and density functional theory, structure-property relations are correlated. Specifically, the results indicate that (4F-PMA)2PbI4 features stronger coupling to longitudinal optical (LO) phonons, assisting emission from a broad bound-exciton state due to a soft, deformable lattice. In contrast, (4F-PMA)2GeI4, benefitting from intermolecular bonding to scaffold a rigid octahedral structure, shows weaker LO-phonon coupling, resulting in the longest PL lifetime and most narrow linewidth (≈120 meV linewidth at 2 K) reported for a Ge-halide perovskite yet, without the occurrence of any additional bound-state emission at low temperatures. These results highlight the potential of germanium halide perovskite materials for optoelectronic applications.

Fast, Highly Stable, and Low-Bandgap 2D Halide Perovskite Photodetectors Based on Short-Chained Fluorinated Piperidinium as a Spacer

Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) two-dimensional (2D) halide perovskite (HP), with attractive structural and optoelectronic properties, has shown great potential in optoelectrical devices. However, the relatively wide bandgap (Eg) and stability, which cause inferior efficiency, prevent its feasibility from further applications. To tackle these issues, for the first time, a novel fluorine-containing piperidinium spacer, (3-HCF2CF2CH2OCH2-PPH+), abbreviated as (4FH-PPH+), has been designed for the stable and efficient n = 1 2D HPs. Its fluorophobicity can significantly enhance the noncovalent interactions between cations and [PbI6]4- octahedra. The observed Eg of the fluorinated (4FH-PPH)2PbI4 perovskite is found to be 2.22 eV, which is the lowest value among all fluorinated perovskites reported so far. Interestingly, this fluorinated film-based 2D perovskite photodetector (PD) exhibits the outstanding responsivity of 502 mA W-1, photodetectivity of 5.73 × 1010 cm Hz1/2 W-1, and impressive response/recovery time of 42/46 ms under 450 nm at 20 V. To the best of our knowledge, it is found for the first time that the 2D HP, with the fluorinated short-chained segment included into the organic spacer, shows remarkable stability for up to 49 days. These results strongly demonstrate the potential of the 2D fluorinated short-chained (4FH-PPH)2PbI4 HP with a low Eg as a promising candidate for next-generation optoelectronic devices.

Nanoscale phase management of the 2D/3D heterostructure toward efficient perovskite solar cells

The stabilization of the formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) structure is pivotal for the development of efficient photovoltaic devices. Employing two-dimensional (2D) layers to passivate the three-dimensional (3D) perovskite is essential for maintaining the α-phase of FAPbI3 and enhancing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the role of bulky ligands in the phase management of 2D perovskites, crucial for the stabilization of FAPbI3, has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we synthesized nanoscale 2D perovskite capping crusts with  = 1 and 2 Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) perovskite layers, respectively, which form a type-II 2D/3D heterostructure. This heterostructure stabilizes the α-phase of FAPbI3, and facilitates ultrafast carrier extraction from the 3D perovskite network to transport contact layer. We introduced tri-fluorinated ligands to mitigate defects caused by the halide vacancies and uncoordinated Pb2+ ions, thereby reducing nonradiative carrier recombination and extending carrier lifetime. The films produced were incorporated into PSCs that not only achieved a PCE of 25.39% but also maintained 95% of their initial efficiency after 2000 h of continuous light exposure without encapsulation. These findings underscore the effectiveness of a phase-pure 2D/3D heterostructure-terminated film in inhibiting phase transitions passivating the iodide anion vacancy defects, facilitating the charge carrier extraction, and boosting the performance of optoelectronic devices.

What Matters for the Charge Transport of 2D Perovskites?

Compared to 3D perovskites, 2D perovskites exhibit excellent stability, structural diversity, and tunable bandgaps, making them highly promising for applications in solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. However, the trade-off for worse charge transport is a critical issue that needs to be addressed. This comprehensive review first discusses the structure of 3D and 2D metal halide perovskites, then summarizes the significant factors influencing charge transport in detail and provides a brief overview of the testing methods. Subsequently, various strategies to improve the charge transport are presented, including tuning A'-site organic spacer cations, A-site cations, B-site metal cations, and X-site halide ions. Finally, an outlook on the future development of improving the 2D perovskites' charge transport is discussed.

Homomeric chains of intermolecular bonds scaffold octahedral germanium perovskites

Perovskites with low ionic radii metal centres (for example, Ge perovskites) experience both geometrical constraints and a gain in electronic energy through distortion; for these reasons, synthetic attempts do not lead to octahedral [GeI6] perovskites, but rather, these crystallize into polar non-perovskite structures1-6. Here, inspired by the principles of supramolecular synthons7,8, we report the assembly of an organic scaffold within perovskite structures with the goal of influencing the geometric arrangement and electronic configuration of the crystal, resulting in the suppression of the lone pair expression of Ge and templating the symmetric octahedra. We find that, to produce extended homomeric non-covalent bonding, the organic motif needs to possess self-complementary properties implemented using distinct donor and acceptor sites. Compared with the non-perovskite structure, the resulting [GeI6]4- octahedra exhibit a direct bandgap with significant redshift (more than 0.5 eV, measured experimentally), 10 times lower octahedral distortion (inferred from measured single-crystal X-ray diffraction data) and 10 times higher electron and hole mobility (estimated by density functional theory). We show that the principle of this design is not limited to two-dimensional Ge perovskites; we implement it in the case of copper perovskite (also a low-radius metal centre), and we extend it to quasi-two-dimensional systems. We report photodiodes with Ge perovskites that outperform their non-octahedral and lead analogues. The construction of secondary sublattices that interlock with an inorganic framework within a crystal offers a new synthetic tool for templating hybrid lattices with controlled distortion and orbital arrangement, overcoming limitations in conventional perovskites.

Highly Stable and Moisture-Immune Monocomponent White Perovskite Phosphor by Trifluoromethyl (-CF3) Regulation

Halide perovskites are emerging as promising candidates for white light solid state lighting. Nevertheless, there are still challenges of a high water stability, a tunable color temperature, and a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). Herein, we report hydrophobic, electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl (-CF₃)-modified phenethylamine lead bromide (PEA₂PbBr₄) with ultrahigh stability in water for >2 months, and the broadband white light emission is illustrated by self-trapped excitons attributed to exciton-phonon coupling that coordinate molecular vibration, lattice distortion, and electrostatic interaction. In particular, by Mn²⁺ doping, the emission color can be tuned from cold (10237 K) to warm (2406 K), and a greatly enhanced PLQY of ≤87.93% can be achieved. Furthermore, the perovskites also possess an excellent color rendering index (the highest is 94). A monocomponent white light-emitting diode with amazing CIE 1931 coordinates of (0.33, 0.32) is further assembled, demonstrating a luminance of 471.5 cd m^-2 at 50 mA and good long-term operation stability after >2 months. This study of highly efficient and stable perovskites with high-quality white light emission will open up new opportunities in solid state lighting.

Charge-Carrier Transport in Quasi-2D Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskite Solar Cells

In recent years, 2D Ruddlesden-Popper (2DRP) perovskite materials have been explored as emerging semiconductor materials in solar cells owing to their excellent stability and structural diversity. Although 2DRP perovskites have achieved photovoltaic efficiencies exceeding 19%, their widespread use is hindered by their inferior charge-carrier transport properties in the presence of diverse organic spacer cations, compared to that of traditional 3D perovskites. Hence, a systematic understanding of the carrier transport mechanism in 2D perovskites is critical for the development of high-performance 2D perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, the recent advances in the carrier behavior of 2DRP PSCs are summarized, and guidelines for successfully enhancing carrier transport are provided. First, the composition and crystal structure of 2DRP perovskite materials that affect carrier transport are discussed. Then, the features of 2DRP perovskite films (phase separation, grain orientation, crystallinity kinetics, etc.), which are closely related to carrier transport, are evaluated. Next, the principal direction of carrier transport guiding the selection of the transport layer is revealed. Finally, an outlook is proposed and strategies for enhancing carrier transport in high-performance PSCs are rationalized.

Rigid Conjugated Diamine Templates for Stable Dion-Jacobson-Type Two-Dimensional Perovskites

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) have garnered widespread interest, yet stability remains a critical issue that limits their further application. Compared to their three-dimensional (3D) counterparts, two-dimensional (2D)-HOIPs exhibit improved stability. 2D-HOIPs are also appealing because their structural and optical properties can be tuned according to the choice of organic ligand, with monovalent or divalent ligands forming Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) or Dion-Jacobson (DJ)-type 2D perovskites, respectively. Unlike RP-type 2D perovskites, DJ-type 2D perovskites do not contain a van der Waals gap between the 2D layers, leading to improved stability. However, bifunctional organic ligands currently used to develop DJ-type 2D perovskites are limited to commercially available aliphatic and single-ring aromatic ammonium cations. Large conjugated organic ligands are in demand for their semiconducting properties and their potential to improve materials stability further. In this manuscript, we report the design and synthesis of a new set of larger conjugated diamine ligands and their incorporation into DJ-type 2D perovskites. Compared with analogous RP-type 2D perovskites, DJ 2D perovskites reported here show blue-shifted, narrower emissions and significantly improved stability. By changing the structure of rings (benzene vs thiophene) and substituents, we develop structure-property relationships, finding that fluorine substitution enhances crystallinity. Single-crystal structure analysis and density functional theory calculations indicate that these changes are due to strong electrostatic interactions between the organic templates and inorganic layers as well as the rigid backbone and strong π-π interaction between the organic ligands themselves. These results illustrate that targeted engineering of the diamine ligands can enhance the stability of DJ-type 2D perovskites.

Synthesis and Structural Analysis of Ternary Ca–Al–Fe Layered Double Hydroxides with Different Iron Contents

Hydrocalumite structured layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with various Fe3+ ratios were prepared through a coprecipitation method. In order to control the Fe3+ content in LDH, binary Ca–Fe LDHs were first synthesized with various Ca/Fe ratios. The X-ray diffraction pattern showed that only a limited Ca/Fe ratio resulted in LDH formation. The Fe3+ content in LDH was controlled by applying Al3+ while the divalent and trivalent metal ratio was set to 2. Through X-ray diffraction patterns, ternary LDHs with Ca–Al–Fe composition were successfully synthesized without significant impurities, with the Al increasing crystallinity. Quantification showed that Al moiety participated in the formation of the LDH framework more than Ca and Fe, implying a structural stabilization in the presence of Al. In order to investigate the global and local structure of Fe moiety in the LDH, both solid state UV-vis and X-ray absorption spectroscopies were carried out. Both spectroscopies revealed that the existence of Al induced slight local distortion in coordination but global crystal stabilization.

Lyotropic liquid crystalline phases of anisotropic nanoparticles of organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites: photoluminescence from self-assembled ordered microstructures of semiconductors

A simple method (which could be completed within 60 minutes at 298 K) was developed to transform layered organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites into colloidal lyotropic liquid crystalline dispersions with microscopic structural orderliness as well as semiconducting properties and photoluminescence. Experimentally, hexagonal-shaped mesogenic nanoplatelets of two-dimensional lead iodide perovskites (R-NH₃)₂PbI₄ were synthesized by antisolvent-induced rapid microcrystallization and stabilized by surfactants, and self-assembled into discotic-nematic phases with optical anisotropy and greenish-blue fluorescence. Combining the stimuli-responsive, light-interactive, and reconfigurable ordered structures of liquid crystals with the adjustable semiconductivity of hybrid perovskites, these photoluminescent soft anisotropic materials may be used for polarized light emission or detection.