Perovskite applications

Researchers from China's Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University have reported a new type of two-terminal self-rectifying memristor that gets rid of asymmetric complex structures by using CsPbBr₃ perovskite nanocrystals (NCs). The integration of rectifying effects with resistance switching in a self-rectifying memristor offers the opportunity to suppress the sneak current in high-density crossbar arrays for energy-efficient neuromorphic computing.

This study demonstrates the possibility of constructing controllable self-rectifying memristors without involving asymmetric complex structures, paving a new way for resolving the sneak current issue in crossbar arrays of memristors. 

Researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) and Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) recently developed a straightforward and effective method for producing 3D architectures of perovskite quantum dot (PQD)-encapsulated high-performance composites (PQD-HPCs) through direct-ink writing (DIW). 

Schematic of the direct-ink writing (DIW) approach of luminescent PQD–polymer architectures. Image from Advanced Functional Materials

Led by Professor Im Doo Jung from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UNIST, the recent study introduced a cutting-edge one-stop perovskite quantum dot (PQD) additive manufacturing technology. This approach eliminates the need for heat treatment, allowing for the creation of complex 3D shapes with exceptional precision, including iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower.

Solaires Enterprises and XLYNX Materials recently announced a collaboration which will focus on building efficient and stable perovskite solar cells to “unlock the full potential of recycled light”. 

The partnership between the two Canada-based companies aims to help engineer the future of solar energy, according to Dr. Sahar Sam, a cofounder of Solaires Enterprises. “Through collaboration with XLYNX Materials, we are one step closer to making solar energy even more sustainable, cost-effective, and accessible,” Sam stated. 

Researchers from Soochow University, Hunan University and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg have incorporated pseudo-halogen thiocyanate (SCN) ions in iodide/bromide mixed halide perovskites and showed that they enhance crystallization and reduce grain boundaries. 

While perovskite/organic tandem solar cells could theoretically achieve high efficiency and stability, their performance is hindered by a process known as phase segregation, which degrades the performance of wide-bandgap perovskite cells and adversely affects recombination processes at the tandem solar cells' interconnecting layer. The team devised a strategy to suppress phase segregation in wide-bandgap perovskites, thus boosting the performance and stability of perovskite/organic tandem cells. This strategy entails the use of a pseudo-triple-halide alloy incorporated in mixed halide perovskites based on iodine and bromine.

An international group of researchers, led by the Chungbuk National University in South Korea, has reported a tin halide perovskite (Sn-HP) solar cell that uses an additive known as 4-Phenylthiosemicarbazide (4PTSC) to reduce imperfections in the perovskite layer.

Using wide bandgap tin halide perovskites (Sn-HP) could pose an eco-friendly option for multi-junction Sn-HP photovoltaics, but rapid crystallization often results in poor film morphology and substantial defect states, hampering device efficiency. The team's work aims to introduce a novel multifunctional additive to tackle these issues.

Researchers from Austria's Johannes Kepler University Linz have developed lightweight, thin (<2.5 μm), flexible and transparent-conductive-oxide-free quasi 2D perovskite solar cells by incorporating alpha-methylbenzyl ammonium iodide into the photoactive perovskite layer. 

The team fabricated the devices directly on an ultrathin polymer foil coated with an alumina barrier layer to ensure environmental and mechanical stability without compromising weight and flexibility.

Researchers from China's Kunming University of Science and Technology and Southwest United Graduate School have doped rare-earth ions into borosilicate glass for the first time to induce the self-crystallization of CsPbBr₃ QDs.

All-inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs) in glass materials, specifically CsPbX₃ (X = Cl, Br, I), have potential as next-generation fluorescent materials due to their impressive luminous performance and stability. However, the crystallization process of quantum dots within the glass presents a challenge, leading to uneven crystallinity and subsequent reductions in light efficiency, thereby affecting practical applications. In glass ceramics doped with rare-earth oxides, the introduction of rare-earth ions as nucleating agents can promote the self-precipitation of nanocrystalline crystals within the glass. 

Researchers at Austria's Johannes Kepler University Linz have developed lightweight, thin (<2.5 μm), flexible and transparent-conductive-oxide-free quasi-two-dimensional perovskite solar cells by incorporating alpha-methylbenzyl ammonium iodide into the photoactive perovskite layer. 

The team fabricated the devices directly on an ultrathin polymer foil coated with an alumina barrier layer to ensure environmental and mechanical stability without compromising weight and flexibility. 

Halide perovskite single crystals such as MAPbBr₃ or CsPbBr₃ possess properties that make them particularly interesting for the detection of ionizing radiation. The most important of these are their high stopping power for absorbing gamma rays, their low-dark current and effective-charge-transport capability. They are therefore ideal for efficiently producing charges when gamma rays pass through them, which is a basic function required for their use in a detection device.

KEP Technologies, through its Setsafe brand, is developing prototype-level radiation detection devices that incorporate halide perovskite single crystals and that can trigger an alarm based on various criteria. These devices target applications for defense and public protection against nuclear and radiological risks.

Researchers at NREL, BlueDot Photonics, University of Washington, Colorado School of Mines and Rochester Institute of Technology have developed a vapor deposition technique based on continuous flash sublimation (CFS) to fabricate all-inorganic perovskite thin films in under 5 minutes in a continuous process. The adoption of the proposed approach may also result in higher power conversion efficiencies of perovskite solar cell.

Schematic illustration of the continuous flash sublimation (CFS) approach consisting of a mechano-chemical synthesis of the source powder (here CsPb(I_xBr_1−x)₃), the high-throughput deposition process in a home-made evaporation system, and a short post-annealing treatment to improve thin-film quality. Image from Journal of Materials Chemistry A

The team described the new technique as a non-batch process that solves two problems associated with the use of established vapor processing in perovskite material manufacturing – the slow speed of deposition and the non-continuous nature of batch processing.