Prof Henry Snaith FRS

Abstract:

V-shaped hole transporting materials based on N,N,N′,N′-tetraarylbenzidine (TPD)-type moieties conjoined by Tröger’s base core were synthesized and investigated. These hole transporting materials were obtained by a three-step synthetic method, are fully amorphous, and demonstrate high glass transition temperatures and good thermal and morphological stability. Relatively high charge mobility (up to 0.036 cm2 V –1 s–1) was measured in these hole transporting materials, exceeding that of corresponding methyl and methoxy substituted TPD analogues without TB core by more than 2 orders of magnitude. Determined ionization potential and charge mobility values permit use of the synthesized compounds as hole transporting materials in fabrication of perovskite solar cells.

Abstract:

Lead halide perovskites are materials with excellent optoelectronic and photovoltaic properties. However, some hurdles remain prior to commercialization of these materials, such as chemical stability, phase stability, sensitivity to moisture, and potential issues due to the toxicity of lead. Here, we report a new type of lead-free perovskite related compound, Cs2PdBr6. This compound is solution processable, exhibits long-lived photoluminescence, and an optical band gap of 1.6 eV. Density functional theory calculations indicate that this compound has dispersive electronic bands, with electron and hole effective masses of 0.53 and 0.85 me, respectively. In addition, Cs2PdBr6 is resistant to water, in contrast to lead-halide perovskites, indicating excellent prospects for long-term stability. These combined properties demonstrate that Cs2PdBr6 is a promising novel compound for optoelectronic applications.

Abstract:

We have accurately determined the exciton binding energy and reduced mass of single crystals of methylammonium lead triiodide using magneto-reflectivity at very high magnetic fields. The single crystal has excellent optical properties with a narrow line width of ∼3 meV for the excitonic transitions and a 2s transition that is clearly visible even at zero magnetic field. The exciton binding energy of 16 ± 2 meV in the low-temperature orthorhombic phase is almost identical to the value found in polycrystalline samples, crucially ruling out any possibility that the exciton binding energy depends on the grain size. In the room-temperature tetragonal phase, an upper limit for the exciton binding energy of 12 ± 4 meV is estimated from the evolution of 1s-2s splitting at high magnetic field.