Coordination Chemistry as a Universal Strategy for a Controlled Perovskite Crystallization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Chemistry

Background:

• Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) require precise thin-film formation for efficiency and stability.
• Residual precursor solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), hinder long-term PSC stability.
• Current nucleation methods often fail to remove these detrimental solvents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel nucleation trigger for perovskite film formation.
• To enhance the stability and efficiency of perovskite solar cells.
• To develop a universal strategy for controlling perovskite crystallization.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) as a nucleation trigger, leveraging its high coordination and vapor pressure.
• Processing of MAPbI3 and FAPbI3 perovskite compositions using DMS.
• Comparison of DMS-processed devices with those fabricated using traditional antisolvents like chlorobenzene.

Main Results:

• DMS effectively replaces residual DMSO, improving thin-film quality and stability.
• MAPbI3 PSCs processed with DMS achieved 21.6% efficiency.
• FAPbI3 PSCs demonstrated higher efficiency (23.5%) with DMS compared to chlorobenzene (20.9%).

Conclusions:

• Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) offers a universal strategy for perovskite crystallization control via coordination chemistry.
• This approach enables the use of pure DMSO precursor solutions, enhancing PSC stability.
• The findings pave the way for reviving and improving DMSO-based perovskite compositions.