A Perovskite Photovoltaic Mini-Module-CsPbBr3 Photoelectrochemical Cell Tandem Device for Solar-Driven Degradation of Organic Compounds

Recently, halide perovskites have been widely explored for high-efficiency photocatalysis or photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. Here, in order to make an efficient photoanode electrode for the degradation of pollutants, concretely 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), nanoscale cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) perovskite was directly formed on the surface of mesoporous titanium dioxide (meso-TiO2) film using a two-step spin-coating process. This photoelectrode recorded a photocurrent of up to 3.02 ± 0.03 mA/cm2 under standard AM 1.5G (100 mW/cm2) illumination through an optimization process such as introducing a thin aluminum oxide (Al2O3) coating layer. Furthermore, to supply high voltage for efficient oxidation of MBT without an external bias, we developed a new photovoltaic/PEC tandem system using a methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) based mini-module consisting of three solar cells interconnected in series and confirmed its successful operation. This approach looks very promising due to its applicability to various PEC reactions.

Increasing the Performance and Stability of Red-Light-Emitting Diodes Using Guanidinium Mixed-Cation Perovskite Nanocrystals

Halide perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) exhibit growing attention in optoelectronics due to their fascinating color purity and improved intrinsic properties. However, structural defects emerging in PNCs progressively hinder the radiative recombination and carrier transfer dynamics, limiting the performance of light-emitting devices. In this work, we explored the introduction of guanidinium (GA⁺) during the synthesis of high-quality Cs_1-xGA_xPbI₃ PNCs as a promising approach for the fabrication of efficient bright-red light-emitting diodes (R-LEDs). The substitution of Cs by 10 mol % GA allows the preparation of mixed-cation PNCs with PLQY up to 100% and long-term stability for 180 days, stored under air atmosphere and refrigerated condition (4 °C). Here, GA⁺ cations fill/replace Cs⁺ positions into the PNCs, compensating intrinsic defect sites and suppressing the nonradiative recombination pathway. LEDs fabricated with this optimum material show an external quantum efficiency (EQE) near to 19%, at an operational voltage of 5 V (50-100 cd/m²) and an operational half-time (t₅₀) increased 67% respect CsPbI₃ R-LEDs. Our findings show the possibility to compensate the deficiency through A-site cation addition during the material synthesis, obtaining less defective PNCs for efficient and stable optoelectronic devices.

Polymeric ionic liquid-based formulations for the fabrication of highly stable perovskite nanocrystal composites for photocatalytic applications

Halide perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have emerged as potential visible-light photocatalysts because of their outstanding intrinsic properties, including high absorption coefficient and tolerance to defects, which reduces non-radiative recombination, and high oxidizing/reducing power coming from their tuneable band structure. Nevertheless, their sensitivity to humidity, light, heat and water represents a great challenge that limits their applications in solar driven photocatalytic applications. Herein, we demonstrate the synergistic potential of embedding PNCs into polymeric ionic liquids (PILs@PS) to fabricate suitable composites for photodegradation of organic dyes. In this context, the stability of the PNCs after polymeric encapsulation was enhanced, showing better light, moisture, water and thermal stability compared to pristine PNCs for around 200 days.

Enhanced Spontaneous Emission of CsPbI3 Perovskite Nanocrystals Using a Hyperbolic Metamaterial Modified by Dielectric Nanoantenna

In this work, we demonstrate, theoretically and experimentally, a hybrid dielectric-plasmonic multifunctional structure able to provide full control of the emission properties of CsPbI₃ perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs). The device consists of a hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) composed of alternating thin metal (Ag) and dielectric (LiF) layers, covered by TiO₂ spherical MIE nanoresonators (i.e., the nanoantenna). An optimum HMM leads to a certain Purcell effect, i.e., an increase in the exciton radiative rate, but the emission intensity is reduced due to the presence of metal in the HMM. The incorporation of TiO₂ nanoresonators deposited on the top of the HMM is able to counteract such an undesirable intensity reduction by the coupling between the exciton and the MIE modes of the dielectric nanoantenna. More importantly, MIE nanoresonators result in a preferential light emission towards the normal direction to the HMM plane, increasing the collected signal by more than one order of magnitude together with a further increase in the Purcell factor. These results will be useful in quantum information applications involving single emitters based on PNCs together with a high exciton emission rate and intensity.

Balanced change in crystal unit cell volume and strain leads to stable halide perovskite with high guanidinium content

Up-to-date studies propose that strain in halide perovskites is one of the key factors that determine a device's efficiency and stability. Here, we show a systematic approach to characterize the phenomenon in the standard methylammonium lead iodine (MAPbI3) perovskite system by: (i) the substitution of some MA by guanidinium (Gu); (ii) the incorporation of PbS quantum dot (QD) additives and (iii) addition of both Gu and PbS at the same time. We studied the effect of these incorporations on the film strain and crystal cell unit volume, and on the solar cell device efficiency and stability. Gu cations and PbS QDs affect the strain, the former due to the relatively large dimensions of Gu, and the latter due to the lattice matching parameters. With the control of Gu and PbS QD content, higher performance and longer solar cell stability are obtained. We demonstrated that the presence of Gu and PbS QDs alters the structure of perovskite, in terms of modification of the unit cell volume and strain. The greater size of Gu cations produces a MAPbI3 unit cell volume expansion as Gu is incorporated, modifying the strain from compressive to tensile. PbS QDs aid Gu incorporation, producing a unit cell volume expansion. In the case of 15% mol Gu incorporation, the addition of PbS QDs modifies strain from compressive to tensile, limiting the deleterious effect. At the same time the unit cell volume is less affected, increasing the solar cell stability. Our work shows that the control of compressive strain and the unit cell volume expansion lead to a 50% increase in T 80, the time in which the PCE decreases to 80% of its original value, increasing the T 80 value from 120 to 187 days under air conditions. Moreover it highlights the importance of exploiting not only the control of the strain induced by internal component, the cation, but also the strain induced by the external component, the QD, associated instead with critical volume variation of metastable perovskite unit cell volume.

Revealing Giant Exciton Fine-Structure Splitting in Two-Dimensional Perovskites Using van der Waals Passivation

Organic-inorganic layered perovskites are currently some of the most promising 2D van der Waals materials. Low crystal quality usually broadens the exciton line width, obscuring the fine structure of the exciton in conventional photoluminescence experiments. Here, we propose a mechanical approach to reducing the effect of spectral diffusion by means of hBN capping on layered perovskites, revealing the exciton fine structure. We used a stochastic model to link the reduction of the spectral line width with the population of charge fluctuation centers present in the organic spacer. van der Waals forces between both lattices cause the partial clamping of the perovskite organic spacer molecules, and hence the amplitude of the overall spectral diffusion effect is reduced. Our work provides a low-cost solution to the problem of accessing important fine-structure excitonic state information, along with an explanation of the important carrier dynamics present in the organic spacer that affect the quality of the optical emission.

Purcell Enhancement and Wavelength Shift of Emitted Light by CsPbI3 Perovskite Nanocrystals Coupled to Hyperbolic Metamaterials

Manipulation of the exciton emission rate in nanocrystals of lead halide perovskites (LHPs) was demonstrated by means of coupling of excitons with a hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) consisting of alternating thin metal (Ag) and dielectric (LiF) layers. Such a coupling is found to induce an increase of the exciton radiative recombination rate by more than a factor of three due to the Purcell effect when the distance between the quantum emitter and HMM is nominally as small as 10 nm, which coincides well with the results of our theoretical analysis. Besides, an effect of the coupling-induced long wavelength shift of the exciton emission spectrum is detected and modeled. These results can be of interest for quantum information applications of single emitters on the basis of perovskite nanocrystals with high photon emission rates.

Photo-Induced Black Phase Stabilization of CsPbI3 QDs Films

α-CsPbI3 quantum dots (QDs) show outstanding photoelectrical properties that had been harnessed in the fabrication of perovskite QDs solar cells. Nevertheless, the stabilization of the CsPbI3 perovskite cubic phase remains a challenge due to its own thermodynamic and the presence of surface defects. Herein, we report the optimization of the CsPbI3 QDs solar cells, by monitoring the structure, the morphology and the optoelectronic properties after a precise treatment, consisting of the conventional solvent washing with a time limited ultraviolet (UV) exposure combination, during the layer-by-layer deposition. The UV treatment compensates the defects coming from the essential but deleterious washing treatment. The material is stable for 200 h and the PCE improved by the 25% compared with that of the device without UV treatment. The photo-enhanced ion mobility mechanism is discussed as the main process for the CsPbI3 QDs and solar cell stability.

Ligand & band gap engineering: tailoring the protocol synthesis for achieving high-quality CsPbI3 quantum dots

Hot-injection has become the most widespread method used for the synthesis of perovskite quantum dots (QDs) with enormous interest for application in optoelectronic devices. However, there are some aspects of the chemistry involved in this synthesis that have not been completely investigated. In this work, we synthesized ultra-high stable CsPbI₃ QDs for more than 15 months by controlling two main parameters: synthesis temperature and the concentration of capping ligands. By increasing the capping ligand concentration during the QD synthesis, we were able to grow CsPbI₃ in a broad range of temperatures, improving the photophysical properties of QDs by increasing the synthesis temperature. We achieved the maximum photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 93% for a synthesis conducted at 185 °C, establishing an efficient surface passivation to decrease the density of non-radiative recombination sites. Under these optimized synthesis conditions, deep red LEDs with an External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) higher than 6% were achieved. The performance of these LEDs is higher than that of the reported CsPbI₃ QD-LEDs containing standard capping agents, without additional elements or further element exchange. We show that it is possible to produce stable CsPbI₃ QDs with high PLQY and red emission beyond the requirement of the Rec. 2020 standards for red color.

Unravelling the Photocatalytic Behavior of All-Inorganic Mixed Halide Perovskites: The Role of Surface Chemical States

Within the most mesmerizing materials in the world of optoelectronics, mixed halide perovskites (MHPs) have been distinguished because of the tunability of their optoelectronic properties, balancing both the light-harvesting efficiency and the charge extraction into highly efficient solar devices. This feature has drawn the attention of analogous hot topics as photocatalysis for carrying out more efficiently the degradation of organic compounds. However, the photo-oxidation ability of perovskite depends not only on its excellent light-harvesting properties but also on the surface chemical environment provided during its synthesis. Accordingly, we studied the role of surface chemical states of MHP-based nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized by hot-injection (H-I) and anion-exchange (A-E) approaches on their photocatalytic (PC) activity for the oxidation of β-naphthol as a model system. We concluded that iodide vacancies are the main surface chemical states that facilitate the formation of superoxide ions, O₂^●-, which are responsible for the PC activity in A-E-MHP. Conversely, the PC performance of H-I-MHP is related to the appropriate balance between band gap and a highly oxidizing valence band. This work offers new insights on the surface properties of MHP related to their catalytic activity in photochemical applications.

Single-Exciton Amplified Spontaneous Emission in Thin Films of CsPbX3 (X = Br, I) Perovskite Nanocrystals

CsPbX₃ perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have emerged as an excellent material for stimulated emission purposes, with even more prospective applications than conventional colloidal quantum dots. However, a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is required to achieve more ambitious targets (lasing under continuous wave optical or electrical excitation). Here, we establish the intrinsic mechanisms underlying ASE in PNCs of three different band gaps (CsPbBr₃, CsPbBr_1.5I_1.5, and CsPbI₃). Our characterization at cryogenic temperatures does not reveal any evidence of the biexciton mechanism in the formation of ASE. Instead, the measured shift toward long wavelengths of the ASE band is easily explained by the reabsorption in the PNC layer, which becomes stronger for thicker layers. In this way, the threshold of ASE is determined only by optical losses at a given geometry, which is the single-exciton mechanism responsible for ASE. Experimental results are properly reproduced by a physical model.

Single-Exciton Amplified Spontaneous Emission in Thin Films of CsPbX3 (X = Br, I) Perovskite Nanocrystals

CsPbX₃ perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) have emerged as an excellent material for stimulated emission purposes, with even more prospective applications than conventional colloidal quantum dots. However, a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is required to achieve more ambitious targets (lasing under continuous wave optical or electrical excitation). Here, we establish the intrinsic mechanisms underlying ASE in PNCs of three different band gaps (CsPbBr₃, CsPbBr_1.5I_1.5, and CsPbI₃). Our characterization at cryogenic temperatures does not reveal any evidence of the biexciton mechanism in the formation of ASE. Instead, the measured shift toward long wavelengths of the ASE band is easily explained by the reabsorption in the PNC layer, which becomes stronger for thicker layers. In this way, the threshold of ASE is determined only by optical losses at a given geometry, which is the single-exciton mechanism responsible for ASE. Experimental results are properly reproduced by a physical model.

Optical Amplification in Hollow-Core Negative-Curvature Fibers Doped with Perovskite CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals

We report a hollow-core negative-curvature fiber (HC-NCF) optical signal amplifier fabricated by the filling of the air microchannels of the fiber with all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs). The optimum fabrication conditions were found to enhance the optical gain, up to +3 dB in the best device. Experimental results were approximately reproduced by a gain assisted mechanism based on the nonlinear optical properties of the PNCs, indicating that signal regeneration can be achieved under low pump powers, much below the threshold of stimulated emission. The results can pave the road of new functionalities of the HC-NCF with PNCs, such as optical amplification, nonlinear frequency conversion and gas sensors.

Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Degradation of Organic Compounds with All-Inorganic Metal Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots

Inspired by the outstanding optoelectronic properties reported for all-inorganic halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs), we have evaluated the potential of these materials toward the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical degradation of organic compounds, taking the oxidation of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) as a proof-of-concept. First, we determined electrochemically the energy levels of dispersions of perovskite QDs with different band gaps induced by the different ratios between halides (Br and I) and metallic cations (Pb and Sn). Then, we selected CsPbBr₃ QDs to demonstrate the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical oxidation of MBT, confirming that hole injection takes place from CsPbBr₃ QDs to MBT, resulting in the total degradation of MBT as evidenced by electrospray mass spectrometry analyses. Although the stability and toxicity of these QDs are major issues to address in the near future, the results obtained in the present study open promising perspectives for the implementation of solar-driven catalytic strategies based on these fascinating materials.

Hidden energy levels? Carrier transport ability of CdS/CdS1-xSex quantum dot solar cells impacted by Cd-Cd level formation

In quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSC), a cascade energy level structure controlled by assembly of cadmium-chalcogenide quantum dots can remarkably improve the sunlight harvesting and charge carrier lifetime. Despite the advantages of using co-sensitizers, energy conversion efficiencies are still low. An increased understanding of the causes of the low photoconversion efficiency (PCE) will contribute to the development of a straightforward approach to improve solar cell performance by exploiting co-sensitization. Herein we discuss how an excess of cadmium causes structural disorder and defect levels impacting the PCE of QDSSC devices. Thus, outer CdS1-xSex/inner CdS QD-co-sensitized B,N,F-co-doped-TiO2 nanotubes (BNF-TNT) were prepared. Chalcogenides were deposited by the SILAR method on BNF-TNT, varying the load of CdS as the inner sensitizer, while for CdS1-xSex, five SILAR cycles were used (5-CdS1-xSex), controlling the nominal S/Se molar ratio of the ternary alloy. Cd defects named as Cd-Cd energy levels were observed during CdS sensitization. Although incorporation of outer CdS1-xSex provides a tunable band gap to achieve good band alignment for carrier separation, Cd-Cd energy levels in the sensitizers act as recombination centers, limiting the overall electron flow at the BNF-TNT/CdS/CdS1-xSex interface. A maximum PCE of 2.58% was reached under standard AM 1.5G solar illumination at 100 mW cm-2. Additional limitations of SILAR as a deposition strategy of QDs are also found to influence the PCE of QDSSC.

How does the Zn-precursor nature impact carrier transfer in ZnO/Zn-TiO2 nanostructures? organic vs. inorganic anions

The carrier transport capability of ZnO/Zn-TiO₂ nanostructures is affected by Zn-precursor anions, generating donor, acceptor and interfacial energy states.

Improving the photoelectrocatalytic performance of boron-modified TiO2/Ti sol–gel-based electrodes for glycerol oxidation under visible illumination

B-TiO₂ photoelectrodes showed a high photoelectrocatalytic performance under visible illumination due to efficient electron transport and charge carrier separation.