Solvate phases crystallizing from hybrid halide perovskite solutions: Chemical classification and structural relations

Solution crystallization techniques of hybrid lead halides for perovskite photovoltaics, while remaining the most common method for fabricating solar cells, are inevitably complicated by the formation of numerous intermediate solvates that predetermine the morphology and properties of the final perovskite light-harvesting layer. Here, for the first time, a chemical classification of known solvates is proposed based on a comprehensive analysis of their structural features and relationships with possible structural types.     

Facile method for synthesis of mixed-cation halide perovskites by mild equilibrium conversion via iodine-mediated transport reaction in inert liquid media

A new facile method for the synthesis of mixed-cation halide R2 = 0.9935 perovskites based on the chemical conversion of solid precursors (organic halides and lead halides) via an iodine-mediated transport reaction in inert liquid media under mild conditions is described. The equilibrium nature of the conversion provides an exact match between the stoichiometry of the resulting perovskite powder and the molar ratio of the precursors. This method can serve as a useful tool for the synthesis of complex perovskite precursors and the investigation of phase equilibria     

Mesoporous hybrid thin films: the physics and chemistry beneath

Mesoporous films containing organic or biological functions within an organised array of cavities are produced by combining sol-gel, self-assembly of supramolecular templates and surface chemistry. This paper reviews the essential physics and chemical concepts behind the synthesis of these complex multifunctional materials.     

Method to control the optical properties: Band gap energy of mixed halide Organolead perovskites

In this work, we studied the effect of varying the volume of mixed halide perovskites on the structural, morphological and optical properties of deposited thin films. A two-step process of spin coating and dipping technique was employed so as to enhance deposition of the films. The samples were subjected to heat treatment after each deposition cycle in order to increase the crystalinity and grain size of the films. The band gap, refractive index, dielectric constant and optical conductivity of the mixed halide perovskites were calculated. The single term Wemple DiDomenico oscillator formulae were applied in determining the expression of the parameter n below the optical band gap in relation to the energy.A significant observation in this study was that the band gap of mixed halide perovskites was extremely lowered compared to the high band energy of its halide perovskite, which reveals the band gap alteration effect of mixed halide perovskites. The refractive index and dielectric constant of the halide and mixed halide perovkites showed results in the wavelength range of 300–600 nm, which is significant for photovoltaic materials.     

Theoretical assessment of metal ions doping of hybrid lead bromide perovskites

A new system of effective radii of metal ions in the bromide environment has been developed to analyze the dopability and preferable lattice positions for 40 different cations in the structure of wide-gap bromide perovskites with a huge potential for applications in optoelectronics, depending on the appropriate doping. The analysis carried out provides theoretical guidance on rational doping from a crystal chemistry point of view and highlights clear differences compared to well-known lead iodide perovskites.     

Optical properties of hybrid dendritic-mesoporous titania nanocomposite films

New hybrid optical sensors have been prepared by grafting specifically designed fluorescent, functionalised, phosphorus-containing dendrimers onto a nanocrystalline mesoporous titania thin film formed by evaporation-induced self-assembly. The structural characterisation and optical behaviour of these new fluorescent probes have been studied both in solution and after being grafted onto an inorganic network, which resulted in the discovery of improved probing selectivity in the solid state. This new hybrid sensor exhibits high sensitivity to phenolic OH moieties (especially those from resorcinol and 2-nitroresorcinol), which induce the quenching of fluorescence more efficiently in the solid state than in solution. This effect is a result of the increased spatial proximity of the fluorescent molecules, which is induced by pore confinement that makes the formation of hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl moieties of the quenchers and the carbonyl groups of the dendrimer easier.     

Generation of paramagnetic hybrid inorganic/organic thin films

There is a growing interest in developing advanced materials for thin film applications in biology, electronics, photonics and engineering. We report the development of hybrid inorganic/organic thin films containing nickel, iron and cobalt paramagnetic materials. By etching the resist in oxygen plasma after processing, most of the organic component of the resist was removed. The elemental chemical composition of the films was confirmed by energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. This process can potentially lead to patterning paramagnetic thin films containing paramagnetic materials by following standard photolithography protocols, obviating the need for a wet or vacuum metal deposition. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Role of the Iodide–Methylammonium Interaction in the Ferroelectricity of CH3NH3PbI3

Excellent conversion efficiencies of over 20 % and facile cell production have placed hybrid perovskites at the forefront of novel solar cell materials, with CH₃NH₃PbI₃ being an archetypal compound. The question why CH₃NH₃PbI₃ has such extraordinary characteristics, particularly a very efficient power conversion from absorbed light to electrical power, is hotly debated, with ferroelectricity being a promising candidate. This does, however, require the crystal structure to be non‐centrosymmetric and we herein present crystallographic evidence as to how the symmetry breaking occurs on a crystallographic and, therefore, long‐range level. Although the molecular cation CH₃NH₃⁺ is intrinsically polar, it is heavily disordered and this cannot be the sole reason for the ferroelectricity. We show that it, nonetheless, plays an important role, as it distorts the neighboring iodide positions from their centrosymmetric positions.     

Thin films of MAPbI3 and MA0.15FA0.75Cs0.1PbI3 perovskites under femtosecond laser irradiation: nonlinear optical absorption and kinetics of photodegradation

The thin MAPbI₃ and MA_0.15FA_0.75Cs_0.1PbI₃ perovskite films have strong nonlinear absorption with coefficients of 443 ± 20 and 830 ± 50 cm GW^–1, respectively, due to two-photon absorption at 1064 nm. The photochemical degradation of perovskite films was observed upon irradiation with femtosecond pulses at 532 nm, and the depth of photodegradation decreased in perovskite films protected with a PMMA polymer layer.     

PMMA: A key macromolecular component for dielectric low-κ hybrid inorganic-organic polymer films

Inorganic-organic composite and hybrid films find widespread applications for the development of functional materials. Polymer matrices with embedded inorganic fillers, nanoparticles or clusters are particularly appealing for optical, electronic, dielectric and magnetic applications. In particular, the development of hybrid layers with tailored dielectric properties represents a key issue in many technological fields.In this framework, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), due to its outstanding chemico-physical properties, represents a particularly suitable polymer component for the embedding of both microscopic and nanoscopic functional inorganic fillers. The wide use of such a matrix has to be traced back to the favourable combination of chemical and physical properties and easy processing. In this review, the main features and properties of PMMA, with a particular focus on dielectric ones, are firstly briefly described. Selected examples to illustrate the state-of-the art of its corresponding use as dielectric matrix are given and several examples are provided and surveyed.Finally, three case studies concerning PMMA-based hybrid films, produced for very different application fields, are described and discussed. The first example deals with the entrapment of micrometric zinc sulphide powders in PMMA, which acts as a host matrix for the electroluminescent particles in thick film-based Alternate Current Powder Electroluminescent Lamps (ACPELs). The second example describes the preparation of low-κ inorganic-organic hybrid dielectric films based on a PMMA-polyvinylchloride(PVC) blend and a hydrophobic silica powder functionalised on the surface with trimethylsiloxane groups (m-SiO₂). The composition of the investigated materials is [(PMMA)_x(PVC)_y]/(m-SiO₂)_z with z ranging from 0 to 38.3 wt% and x = y = (100 − z)/2. The third case concerns the use of PMMA as a matrix to embed zirconium oxoclusters through the formation of covalent bonds. The obtained material, characterised by a dielectric constant value remarkably lower (1.93 at 1 kHz and 25 °C) than in pristine PMMA (3.0 at 1 kHz and 25 °C), appears as very appealing for the development of microelectronic devices based on low dielectric constant polymer films such as, for instance, field-effect transistor (FET).These three cases are paradigms of three different approaches to composite and hybrid materials based on the embedding of particles in PMMA polymer matrix.     

阴极界面修饰层改善平面p-i-n型钙钛矿太阳能电池的光伏性能

有机/无机杂化金属卤化物钙钛矿半导体材料结合了有机材料良好的溶液可加工性以及无机材料优越的光电特性,近几年受到了热捧,成为太阳能电池领域一颗耀眼的明星. 伴随着钙钛矿薄膜结晶过程和形貌的优化、器件结构的改进以及电极界面材料的开发,这类有机/无机杂化金属卤化物钙钛矿太阳能电池的光电转换效率从最初的3.8%迅速提高到目前最高的22.1%. 其中界面工程在提升器件性能上发挥着极其重要的作用. 本文总结了平面p-i-n型钙钛矿太阳能电池中阴极界面修饰层（CBL）的研究进展. CBL从材料上讲可分为无机金属氧化物、金属或金属盐以及有机材料,从构成上讲可分为单层CBL、双层CBLs以及共混型CBL. 本文对这些类型的CBL分别给予详细的介绍. 最后,我们归纳出CBL在改善器件效率和稳定性上所起的作用以及理想CBL所应满足的要求,希望能为以后阴极界面修饰材料的设计提供一定的借鉴.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence of titania nanoparticle arrays templated by block-copolymer thin films.

High-density arrays of titania nanoparticles were prepared using a polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PS-b-PEO) as a template and a titanium tetraisopropoxide based sol-gel precursor as titania source via a spin-coating method. The hydrophilic titania sol-gel precursor was selectively incorporated into hydrophilic PEO domains of PS-b-PEO and form titania nanoparticle arrays, due to a microphase separation between the PS block and the sol-gel/PEO phase. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) images showed that the uniformity and long-range order of the titania/PEO domains improved with increasing sol-gel precursor amount. Grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) results indicate that the ordered structures exist over large length scales. Titania nanocrystal arrays of anatase modification were obtained by calcination at 600 degrees C for 4 h. After calcination, separated particles were observed for low and medium amounts of sol-gel precursors. Films with higher precursor amounts showed wormlike structures due to the aggregation between neighboring particles. Removal of the polymer matrix via UV treatment leads to highly ordered arrays of amorphous titania while retaining the domain size and interparticle distance initially present in the hybrid films. Photoluminescence (PL) properties were investigated for samples before and after calcination. The PL intensity increases with the increasing amount of sol-gel precursor. Bands at 412 nm were ascribed to self-trapped exitons and bands at 461 and 502 nm to oxygen vacancies, respectively. Uncalcined or UV-treated samples also showed PL properties similar to calcined samples, indicating that the local environment of the titanium atoms is similar to the environment of the crystalline anatase modification.     

Design of hydrophobic polyoxometalate hybrid assemblies beyond surfactant encapsulation

Grafting of C-6, C-16 and C-18 alkyl chains onto the hydrophilic Mn-Anderson clusters (compounds 2-4) has been achieved. Exchange of the tetrabutyl ammonium (TBA) with dimethyldioctadecyl ammonium (DMDOA) results in the formation of new polyoxometalate (POM) assemblies (compounds 5-6), in which the POM cores are covalently functionalized by hydrophilic alkyl-chains and enclosed by surfactant of DMDOABr. As a result, we have been able to design and synthesize POM-containing hydrophobic materials beyond surfactant encapsulation. In solid state, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) studies of the TBA salts of compounds 3 and 4 show highly ordered, uniform, reproducible assemblies with unique segmented rodlike morphology. SEM and TEM studies of the DMDOA salts of compounds 5 and 6 show that they form spherical and sea urchin 3D objects in different solvent systems. In solution, the physical properties of compound 5 and 6 (combination of surfactant-encapsulated cluster (SEC) and surface-grafted cluster (SGC)) show a liquid-to-gel phase transition in pure chloroform below 0 degrees C, which are much lower than other reported SECs. By utilizing light scattering measurements, the nanoparticle size for compounds 5 and 6 were measured at 5 degrees C and 30 degrees C, respectively. Other physical properties including differential scanning calorimetry have been reported.     

Hydrothermal synthesis,crystal structure and third-order non-linear optical property of a copper chloride cluster

A novel one-dimensional chain coordination polymer [[CuCl₂]₂(phen)₂]_∞ (1) and a three-dimensional coordination polymer [[CuCl] (phen)₂](CuCl₂) (2) were synthesized from simple hydrothermal reactions and the structures were characterized with elemental analysis, FT-IR spectrum and X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 crystallized in the monoclinic space group Cc with a?=?9.874(2), b?=?17.871(4), and c?=?13.440(3)?Å, α?=?90.00°, β?=?106.59(3)°, γ?=?90.00°, R ₁?=?0.0463, wR ₂?=?0.0819. Compound 2 crystallized in the monoclinic space group P2/c with a?=?14.4084(13), b?=?12.6280(11) and c?=?13.3560(12)?Å, α?=?90.00°, β?=?111.490(2)°, γ?=?90.00°, R ₁?=?0.0771, wR ₂?=?0.1439. In the packing structure, π–π stacking interactions are the most significant factors controlling the novel supramolecular sheets for the title compound. Moreover, the third-order non-linear optical property of the two compounds were also investigated and they show reverse saturable absorption and self-focusing performance.     

Sol–gel preparation and properties of hydroxypropylcellulose–titania hybrid thin films

Hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC)–titania hybrid thin films were prepared by sol–gel method where titanium tetraisopropoxide Ti(OC₃H₇ ⁱ )₄ was hydrolyzed under acidic conditions in the presence of HPC, followed by dip-coating and drying at 120 °C for 24 h. The viscosity average molecular weight of HPC was 55,000–70,000 or 110,000–150,000, and the TiO₂/(HPC + TiO₂) mass ratio ranged from 0 to 1, which was calculated on the assumption that all Ti(OC₃H₇ ⁱ )₄ is converted into TiO₂. The films were 0.35–1.0 μm thick, transparent in visible region and opaque in ultraviolet (UV) region, where the optical absorption coefficient in UV region increased with increasing titania content. The refractive index increased with increasing titania content, ranging from 1.6 to 1.8 for the hybrid thin films. The pencil hardness increased from 6B to 5H, the durability in hot water significantly increased and the contact angle of water on films increased from 35° to 89° with increasing titania content. Crack-free films could be deposited on organic polymer substrates irrespective of titania or HPC contents, where cracking did not occur at higher HPC contents even when the substrate was bent.     

Preparation of polyimide/BaTiO3‐nanocrystal hybrid thin films and their dielectric property

High dielectric constant is highly desirable in capacitors and memory devices. In this work, oleic acid (OA)‐capped BaTiO₃ nanocrystals were synthesized by a two‐phase approach. Polyimide (PI)/BaTiO₃‐nanocrystal composite thin films with high dielectric constant have been successfully fabricated. The morphologies and dielectric properties of the hybrid films were exploited. The results showed that BaTiO₃ nanocrystals can be uniformly dispersed in the PI thin films owing to the surface modification of OA‐capped BaTiO₃ nanocrystals. It was found that the dielectric constant of composite film varies with the volume fraction of BaTiO₃ nanocrystals and sintering temperatures and reaches a maximum value of 44.1, which is around 13 times higher than that of pristine PI thin film (3.2). These results demonstrated that PI/BaTiO₃‐nanocrystal composite films have considerable application potential in microelectronic fields.     

Exceptional affinity of nanostructured organic-inorganic hybrid materials towards dioxygen: confinement effect of copper complexes

We report the exceptional reactivity towards dioxygen of a nanostructured organic-inorganic hybrid material due to the confinement of copper cyclam within a silica matrix. The key step is the metalation reaction of the ligand, which can occur before or after xerogel formation through the sol-gel process. The incorporation of a Cu(II) center into the material after xerogel formation leads to a bridged Cu(I)/Cu(II) mixed-valence dinuclear species. This complex exhibits a very high affinity towards dioxygen, attributable to auto-organization of the active species in the solid. The remarkable properties of these copper complexes in the silica matrix demonstrate a high cooperative effect for O(2) adsorption; this is induced by close confinement of the two copper ions leading to end-on mu-eta(1):eta(1)-peroxodicopper(II) complexes. The anisotropic packing of the tetraazamacrocycle in a lamellar structure induces an exceptional reactivity of these copper complexes. We show for the first time that the organic-inorganic environment of copper complexes in a silica matrix fully model the protecting role of protein in metalloenzymes. For the first time an oxygenated dicopper(II) complex can be isolated in a stable form at room temperature, and the reduced Cu(2) (I,I) species can be regenerated after several adsorption-desorption cycles. These data also demonstrate that the coordination scheme and reactivity of the copper cyclams within the solid are quite different from that observed in solution.