Environmental implications of perovskite materials with a comprehensive review on fundamentals, synthesis,...

The evolution of the industrial revolution laced the foundation for an era of abundance, which has led to significant environmental challenges we face today. To compensate or reverse the damage we have shifted the focus toward sustainable development, for which nanoparticles play a crucial part, specifically perovskites. Perovskites emerged as a pivotal material in recent years for their remarkable optoelectronic properties and versatile applications in photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, and sensors. This versatility is credited to the slight structural flexibility arising from the ionic interaction and defects providing numerous degrees of possible tilting in the octahedral site that influences the band structure, electron-hole transport characteristic and other optoelectrical properties. This comprehensive review explores the environmental implications of perovskite materials, emphasizing their fundamental properties, synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and diverse applications. We begin by elucidating the fundamental structure and properties of perovskites, which underpin their functionality. Various synthesis routes, including various solution-based methods and approaches are discussed with a focus on their environmental impact. Advanced characterization techniques are presented to understand the structural, optical, and electronic properties of perovskites, which are crucial for optimizing their performance in different applications. The review highlights the environmental benefits and potential risks associated with the widespread use of perovskite materials. These issues are discussed and key research directions and innovations required to further the impact of perovskite materials to harness their full potential.