Origin of Sn(II) oxidation in tin halide perovskites

Tin-halide perovskites have great potential as photovoltaic materials, but their performance is hampered by undesirable oxidation of Sn(ii) to Sn(iv). NMR proves DMSO to be a main cause of oxidation

Ion Migration‐Induced Amorphization and Phase Segregation as a Degradation Mechanism in Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

The operation of halide perovskite optoelectronic devices, including solar cells and LEDs, is strongly influenced by the mobility of ions comprising the crystal structure. This peculiarity is particularly true when considering the long‐term stability of devices. A detailed understanding of the ion migration‐driven degradation pathways is critical to design effective stabilization strategies. Nonetheless, despite substantial research in this first decade of perovskite photovoltaics, the long‐term effects of ion migration remain elusive due to the complex chemistry of lead halide perovskites. By linking materials chemistry to device optoelectronics, this study highlights that electrical bias‐induced perovskite amorphization and phase segregation is a crucial degradation mechanism in planar mixed halide perovskite solar cells. Depending on the biasing potential and the injected charge, halide segregation occurs, forming crystalline iodide‐rich domains, which govern light emission and participate in light absorption and photocurrent generation. Additionally, the loss of crystallinity limits charge collection efficiency and eventually degrades the device performance

Tin Halide Perovskite Films Made of Highly Oriented 2D Crystals Enable More Efficient and Stable Lead-free Perovskite Solar Cells

Li M, Zuo W-W, Yang Y-G, et al. Tin Halide Perovskite Films Made of Highly Oriented 2D Crystals Enable More Efficient and Stable Lead-free Perovskite Solar Cells. ACS Energy Letters. 2020;5(6):1923-1929.Low toxicity and an ideal energy bandgap make two-dimensional (2D) Ruddlesden–Popper tin-based halide perovskites a promising photovoltaic material. However, the disordered crystal orientation and the oxidation of Sn2+ to Sn4+ still need to be addressed. Here, we demonstrate that the annealing of FASnI3 assisted by phenyl ethylammonium chloride enables the formation of more ordered 2D tin-based perovskite crystals oriented vertically. We use in situ synchrotron-based grazing incident X-ray diffraction to correlate the higher crystal orientation to the better device performance. We measured a maximum power conversion efficiency of more than 9%. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the phenyl ethylammonium chloride acts as a barrier layer at the surface of the crystals protecting the tin from the oxidation. Hence, this work paves the way for more efficient and stable lead-free perovskite solar cells