Journal of Inorganic Materials
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Li-dong Chen
Yu CHEN, Puan LIN, Bing CAI, and Wenhua ZHANG

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted widespread attention due to their high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and low manufacturing cost. Although the certified PCE has reached 25.8%, the stability of PSCs under high temperature, high humidity, and continuous light exposure is still significantly inferior to that of traditional cells, which hinders their commercialization. Developing and applying highly stable inorganic hole transport materials (HTMs) is currently one of the effective methods to solve the photo-thermal stability of devices, which can effectively shield water and oxygen from corroding the perovskite absorption layer, thereby avoiding the formation of ion migration channels. This paper outlines the approximate classification and photoelectric properties of inorganic HTMs, introduces relevant research progress, summarizes performance optimization strategies for inorganic HTMs devices, including element doping, additive engineering, and interface engineering, and finally prospects the future development directions. It is necessary to further study the microstructure of inorganic HTMs and their relationship with the performance of PSCs to achieve more efficient and stable PSCs.

Jun. 15, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 991 (2023)
  • Huajun GUO, Shuailing AN, Jie MENG, Shuxia REN, Wenwen WANG, Zishang LIANG, Jiayu SONG, Hengbin CHEN, Hang SU, and Jinjin ZHAO

    As a reversible, non-volatile, and resistive state mutation information storage and processing device, the resistive switching (RS) memory is expected to solve the inherent physical limitations of the traditional memory and von Neumann bottleneck, and has received widespread attention. Taking advantage of rapid carrier migration characteristics and excellent photoelectric conversion performance, halide perovskite optoelectronic RS memory devices present excellent resistive switching performance. In recent years, researches on storage and computing applications of the halide perovskite RS memory developed unprecedentedly; whereas, the working mechanisms of halide perovskite RS memory still remain unclear. This review analyzes the working mechanism of halide perovskite RS memory, compares the regulation characteristics of conduction filaments (CFs) and energy level matching (ELM), summarizes the constraints of various mechanisms, reveals the repeated formation and dissolution of CFs under light illumination and electric field, as well as Schottky barrier between the perovskite transfer layer and other layer, dominates the On/Off ratio, threshold (Set/Reset) voltage and performance stability of halide perovskite optoelectronic RS memory, and prospects the applications of halide perovskite RS memory in artificial intelligence bionic synapses, in-memory computing, and machine vision.

    Jun. 15, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1005 (2023)
  • Siyin DONG, Shujie TIE, Ruihan YUAN, and Xiaojia ZHENG

    X-ray detection has been widely used in medical imaging, security inspection, and industrial non-destructive tests. Halide perovskite X-ray detectors have attracted increasing attention due to their high sensitivity and low detection limit, but the notorious ion migration leads to poor operational stability. It is reported that the low dimensional structure can effectively suppress the ion migration of perovskites, thus greatly improving the stability of the detectors. This review introduces the working mechanism, key performance parameters of perovskite X-ray detectors, and summarizes the recent progress of low-dimensional perovskite materials and their application in direct X-ray detectors. The relationship between the structural characteristics of low-dimensional perovskite materials and their X-ray detection performance was systematically analyzed. Low-dimensional perovskite is a promising candidate for the preparation of X-ray detectors with both high sensitivity and stability. Further optimization of detection material and device structure, preparation of large-area pixelated imaging devices, and study of working mechanism in-depth of the detector are expected to promote the practical application of perovskite X-ray detectors.

    Apr. 11, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1017 (2023)
  • Yiman DONG, and Zhan’ao TAN

    Power conversion efficiency of single-junction solar cells is fundamentally limited by the Shockley- Queisser (S-Q) limit. The most promising practical technology to break through the S-Q limit is to use two-terminal tandem structure which can simultaneously solve the problems, spectral mismatch and thermal relaxation energy loss, in single-junction devices. As one of the important components of the interconnecting layer, the recombination layer in the two-terminal tandem solar cells can provide recombination sites for electrons and holes extracted from the electron transporting layer and the hole transporting layer, avoiding the open-circuit voltage loss caused by charge accumulation and promoting the current flow of tandem solar cells. The recombination layer is considered as one of the key factors of achieving high-performance tandem devices. The ideal recombination layer should possess high conductivity to improve the charge recombination rate, high optical transmittance to ensure effective light absorption of the rear subcells, good chemical stability to reduce the damage caused by the solvent, and low preparation cost to promote the commercial production process. At present, a variety of materials have been used in two-terminal tandem solar cells, such as thin metals, transparent conductive oxides, conductive polymers, graphene oxide, etc., which play an important role in perovskite-perovskite, perovskite-organic, and perovskite-silicon two terminal tandem devices. In this review, the research progress of recombination layers in different types of tandem solar cells is summarized, together with types, design principles, preparation processes, and their advantages and disadvantages. Meanwhile, problems and challenges of the current recombination layers are proposed, which provides a useful reference for the design of high-performance tandem cells.

    Jun. 15, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1031 (2023)
  • Lun ZHANG, Mei LYU, and Jun ZHU

    In recent years, organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells have received a lot of attention for their excellent performance and low manufacturing cost. However, the toxicity of lead in organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells and instability inhibits its further commercialization. Double perovskite Cs2AgBiBr6 possess excellent stability, low toxicity, long carrier lifetime, and small effective carrier mass, and is considered as a promising photovoltaic material. It has been applied in solar cells and displayed superior performance. However, the power conversion efficiency of Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskite solar cell still lags behind organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells, and its development faces various challenges. This review firstly introduces the crystal structure and the structural parameters such as tolerance factor of Cs2AgBiBr6. And then, the progress of thin film preparation technologies such as solution processing method, anti-solvent assisted film forming method, vapor deposition processing method, vacuum-assisted film forming method, spray-coating method are summarized, and the advantages and disadvantages of various preparation technologies are discussed. The performance optimization strategies of Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskite solar cells are analyzed from three aspects: element doping, additive engineering, and interface engineering (interface energy level matching and interface defect passivation), and the research progress in recent years is reviewed. Finally, the challenges faced by Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskite solar cells are pointed out, and future research directions are prospected from three aspects: precursor solvent engineering, bandgap engineering, and device degradation mechanism.

    Jun. 02, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1044 (2023)
  • Ying HU, Ziqing LI, and Xiaosheng FANG

    AgBi2I7 thin film is one of the important candidates for constructing heterojunction ultraviolet photodetectors, due to their great optoelectronic properties and environmental stability. In this study, AgBi2I7 thin films were prepared by solution method and their photodetecting properties were investigated. By optimizing technological parameters such as concentration of the precursor solution and type of solvent (n-butylamine and DMSO), their photodetecting performance were investigated. AgBi2I7 thin films were fabricated on wide-bandgap GaN by optimal scheme to construct an AgBi2I7/GaN heterojunction. The heterojunction has a great selective detection of UVA-ray of which full width at half maximum is about 30 nm. Under 3 V bias and 350 nm UV irradiation, the On/Off ratio of the device exceeds 5 orders of magnitude, achieving a high responsivity of 27.51 A/W and a high detection rate of 1.53×1014 Jones. Therefore, the present research indicates that AgBi2I7 thin films prepared by solution method are promising to be applied to construct high-performance heterojunction ultraviolet photodetectors.

    Dec. 16, 2022
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1055 (2022)
  • Run WANG, Hengyang XIANG, and Haibo ZENG

    Perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs), owing to their unique photoelectric performance, show promising prospects in display applications. Red, green, and blue monochromatic PeLEDs have achieved remarkable breakthroughs, but the study of red/green/blue perovskite co-electroluminescence is still delayed. This study proposed a strategy that an intermediate connection layer (ICL) with hole/electron generation and transport capability is introduced between perovskites. On the one hand, introduction of the ICL can inhibit ion exchange and energy transfer. On the other hand, ICL has a charge-generation function that ensures different perovskite centers capture enough carriers. Furthermore, the thickness of the hole transport layer (NPB) is optimized. Furthermore, the thickness of the hole transport layer (NPB) is regulated, the blue/green tandem PeLED achieved relatively balanced luminescence and exhibits the largest EQE of 0.33%. The developed red/green/blue tandem PeLED exhibits the highest EQE of 0.5%, which is the first report in the field of PeLEDs, and exhibits the largest External Quantum Efficiency(EQE) of 0.33%. The developed red/green/blue tandem PeLED exhibits the highest EQE of 0.5%. In conclusion, this work provides a reference strategy for the co-electroluminescence of multicolor perovskites, which is expected to promote the development of perovskite in display applications.

    Apr. 03, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1062 (2023)
  • Kai CAI, and Zhiwen JIN

    Two-dimensional (2D) perovskite displays great potential in optoelectronic applications due to its inherent quantum well structure, large exciton binding energy and good stability. However, facile preparation of high-quality 2D perovskite films with low cost remains a huge challenge. In this work, high-quality two-dimensional perovskite (PEA)2PbI4 films were prepared by solution method at low annealing temperature(80 ℃) without other special treatments, and further applied in the field of photodetectors. The results show that this photodetector possessed a low dark current (10-11 A), good responsiveness illuminated at a wavelength of 450 nm (107 mA·W-1), high detection rate (2.05×1012 Jones) and fast response time (250 μs/330 μs). After 1200 s continuous illumination, the device maintains 95% initial photocurrent. In addition, the photocurrent remains almost unchanged after storage for 30 d. This work provides promising strategy to develop stable and high-performance optoelectronic devices.

    Apr. 28, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1069 (2023)
  • Machao WANG, Yangmin TANG, Mingxue DENG, Zhenzhen ZHOU, Xiaofeng LIU, Jiacheng WANG, and Qian LIU

    Cs2NaBiCl6 double perovskite with indirect band demonstrates near-infrared (NIR) wide-band emission, but its low efficacy limits its potential applications in the field of NIR. In this work, micron-sized Cs2Ag0.1Na0.9BiCl6:Tm3+ double perovskites were synthesized via the coprecipitation method, which shows enhanced NIR emission. Their optical absorption, photoluminescence emission (PL) and excitation (PLE), time-resolved photoluminescence, and photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) were investigated. The Cs2Ag0.1Na0.9BiCl6:Tm3+ shows optical bandgap of 3.06 eV and NIR broad emission peaking at 680 nm under 350 nm excitation due to recombination of self-trapped excitons (STEs). Meanwhile, a new emission peak could be observed at 810 nm due to Tm3+ doping. The PLQY in the band range of 780-830 nm can be increased by 6.05 times from 1.67% to 11.77% and in the band range of 650-900 nm can reach 25.22%. This study proves the feasibility of Cs2Ag0.1Na0.9BiCl6:Tm3+ double perovskite as new NIR emission material.

    Apr. 15, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1083 (2023)
  • Xiaodong DAI, Luwei ZHANG, Yicheng QIAN, Zhixin REN, Huanqi CAO, and Shougen YIN

    With a bandgap of 1.1-1.4 eV, Sn/Pb mixed halide perovskites are ideal materials for single-junction solar cells to reach the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) limit of Shockley-Queisser (S-Q) theory. Their chemical composition gradient in the vertical direction of the perovskite films affect the transport and separation of carriers by changing the energy band structures. Therefore, it is very important to control the crystallization process of tin-lead mixed perovskite thin films. In this work, it was found that different vertical composition gradients were formed when tin-lead mixed perovskites were prepared with different amounts of the anti-solvent. Larger amounts of anti-solvent was contributed to higher lead content on the film surface. The vertical composition gradient of tin-lead mixed perovskite could be regulated by adjusting the solvent composition, among which increasing V(DMSO):V(DMF) in the solvent could form a vertical composition gradient with a lead-rich bottom and a tin-rich surface. When V(DMSO):V(DMF) in lead-based precursor solutions was optimized to 1 : 2, compared with the control group of 1 : 4, open circuit voltage of the device under standard light conditions increased from 0.725 to 0.769 V, short circuit current density from 30.95 to 31.65 mA·cm-2, and PCE from 16.22% to nearly 18%. Numerical simulations using SCAPS further proved the necessity of forming a vertical composition gradient. When the bottom of the perovskite film is rich in lead and the top is rich in tin, the recombination of carriers in the hole transport layer interface region is reduced, which can improve the device’s performance.

    Apr. 15, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1089 (2023)
  • Xu HAN, Hengda YAO, Mei LYU, Hongbo LU, and Jun ZHU

    Solution-processed perovskite films usually contain a large quantity of grain boundaries, which decrease the film crystalline quality and introduce severe defect recombination, hindering performance of the devices based on them. Therefore, preparation of high-quality films to achieve high power conversion efficiencies remains a great challenge for perovskite solar cells. Due to high abilities of self-assembly and morphology-tuning for liquid crystal molecules, a single-molecule liquid crystal 4-cyano-4′-pentyl biphenyl (5CB) was employed as additive in CH(NH2)2PbI3 (FAPbI3) precursor solution to increase the perovskite grain size and decrease the grain boundaries. In addition, the cyano group in 5CB passivates the uncoordinated Pb2+ in the perovskite films, which reduces the trap density concentration and inhibits the nonradiative recombination. The resulting perovskite solar cells with 0.2 mg/mL 5CB in the precursor achieve an efficient power conversion efficiency of 21.27% with an open circuit voltage of 1.086 V, a current density of 24.17 mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 80.96%. In conclusion, introducing single-molecule liquid crystal as additive is a facile and efficient strategy for improving the performance of FAPbI3 solar cells.

    Apr. 10, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1097 (2023)
  • Wanli FANG, Lili SHEN, Haiyan LI, Xinyu CHEN, Zongqi CHEN, Chunhui SHOU, Bin ZHAO, and Songwang YANG

    Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) play an important role in industrialization research due to their stability and low cost. In this work, high-quality NiOx mesoporous layer was selected as a hole transport layer (HTL) based on MAPbI3 material to enhance the performance of C-PSCs. The effect of preparation methods of the NiOx mesoporous layer on the solar cell performance and the optimum thickness of the NiOx mesoporous layer were investigated. It was found that mesoporous layers prepared by screen-printing process with well-distributed pores facilitated the filling of perovskite (PVK) precursor solution in the underlayer mesoporous scaffold. Finally, an HTL-contained perovskite solar cell with high efficiency and almost negligible hysteresis was achieved, possessing an open-circuit voltage (VOC) of 910 mV, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.63%, and certified efficiency reached 14.88%. Moreover, PCE of the solar cell displayed outstanding stability after being stored in air for nearly 900 h.

    Apr. 28, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1103 (2023)
  • Xiaowei WU, Han ZHANG, Biao ZENG, Chen MING, and Yiyang SUN

    Density functional theory calculations play an important role in the study of defects in halide perovskites. Although the traditional semi-local functionals (such as PBE) can obtain the band gaps close to the experiments, they fail to accurately describe the positions of the band edges. Utilizing more accurate hybrid functionals combined with the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effect with full structure relaxation is considered to be necessary for the prediction of defect properties. There are two types of hybrid functionals in the literature, namely the screened HSE and the unscreened PBE0. In this study, taking the orthorhombic phase CsPbI3 as an example, these methods were compared for the calculation of defect properties. The results show that there is no obvious difference between two methods for bulk properties, but qualitative differences appear for the defect properties. Most of the shallow-level defects predicted in the HSE calculations become deep-level defects in the PBE0 calculations. Meanwhile, there are qualitative differences between the defect transition levels and the Kohn-Sham levels. The origin of above differences lies in the fact that the Hartree-Fock exchange potential has long-range interaction. Therefore, in unscreened hybrid functionals, such as PBE0, it is more difficult to obtain convergent results with a manageable supercell size. In contrast, HSE exhibits a screening effect on the Hartree-Fock exchange potential and can obtain accurate defect energy levels using relatively small supercell sizes. Therefore, all results here demonstrate that the HSE hybrid functional owns a significant advantage in dealing with this problem even though a large Hartree-Fock mixing parameter (about 0.43) is needed.

    Jun. 01, 2023
  • Vol. 38 Issue 9 1110 (2023)
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