The low power conversion efficiency (PCE) of tin‐based hybrid perovskite solar cells (HPSCs) is mainly attributed to the high background carrier density due to a high density of intrinsic defects such as Sn vacancies and oxidized species (Sn4+) that characterize Sn‐based HPSCs. Herein, this study reports on the successful reduction of the background carrier density by more than one order of magnitude by depositing near‐single‐crystalline formamidinium tin iodide (FASnI3) films with the orthorhombic a‐axis in the out‐of‐plane direction. Using these highly crystalline films, obtained by mixing a very small amount (0.08 m) of layered (2D) Sn perovskite with 0.92 m (3D) FASnI3, for the first time a PCE as high as 9.0% in a planar p–i–n device structure is achieved. These devices display negligible hysteresis and light soaking, as they benefit from very low trap‐assisted recombination, low shunt losses, and more efficient charge collection. This represents a 50% improvement in PCE compared to the best reference cell based on a pure FASnI3 film using SnF2 as a reducing agent. Moreover, the 2D/3D‐based HPSCs show considerable improved stability due to the enhanced robustness of the perovskite film compared to the reference cell.

In the past years, halide capping became one of the most promising strategies to passivate the surface of colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) in thin films to be used for electronic and optoelectronic device fabrication. This is due to the convenient processing, strong n-type characteristics, and ambient stability of the devices. Here, we investigate the effect of three counterions (ammonium, methylammonium, and tetrabutylammonium) in iodide salts used for treating CQD thin films and shed light on the mechanism of the ligand exchange. We obtain two- and three-dimensional square-packed PbS CQD superlattices with epitaxial merging of nearest neighbor CQDs as a direct outcome of the ligand-exchange reaction and show that the order in the layer can be controlled by the nature of the counterion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the acidity of the environment plays an important role in the substitution of the carboxylates by iodide ions at the surface of lead chalcogenide quantum dots. Tetrabutylammonium iodide shows lower reactivity compared to methylammonium and ammonium iodide due to the nonacidity of the cation, which eventually leads to higher order but also poorer carrier transport due to incomplete removal of the pristine ligands in the QD thin film. Finally, we show that single-step blade-coating and immersion in a ligand exchange solution such as the one containing methylammonium iodide can be used to fabricate well performing bottom-gate/bottom-contact PbS CQD field effect transistors with record subthreshold swing.

In this contribution, for the first time, the polarity of fullerene derivatives is tailored to enhance the miscibility between the host and dopant molecules. A fullerene derivative with a hydrophilic triethylene glycol type side chain (PTEG-1) is used as the host and (4-(1,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)phenyl)dimethylamine n-DMBI) as the dopant. Thereby, the doping efficiency can be greatly improved to around 18% (<1% for a nonpolar reference sample) with optimized electrical conductivity of 2.05 S cm , which represents the best result for solution-processed fullerene derivatives. An in-depth microstructural study indicates that the PTEG-1 molecules readily form layered structures parallel to the substrate after solution processing. The fullerene cage plane is alternated by the triethylene glycol side chain plane; the n-DMBI dopants are mainly incorporated in the side chain plane without disturbing the π-π packing of PTEG-1. This new microstructure, which is rarely observed for codeposited thin films from solution, formed by PTEG-1 and n-DMBI molecules explains the increased miscibility of the host/dopant system at a nanoscale level and the high electrical conductivity. Finally, a power factor of 16.7 µW m K is achieved at 40% dopant concentration. This work introduces a new strategy for improving the conductivity of solution-processed n-type organic thermoelectrics.

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Knowledge of the mechanism of formation, orientation, and location of phases inside thin perovskite films is essential to optimize their optoelectronic properties. Among the most promising, low toxicity, lead-free perovskites, the tin-based ones are receiving much attention. Here, an extensive in situ and ex situ structural study is performed on the mechanism of crystallization from solution of 3D formamidinium tin iodide (FASnI 3 ), 2D phenylethylammonium tin iodide (PEA 2 SnI 4 ), and hybrid PEA 2 FA n−1 Sn n I 3n+1 Ruddlesden-Popper perovskites. Addition of small amounts of low-dimensional component promotes oriented 3D-like crystallite growth in the top part of the film, together with an aligned quasi-2D bottom-rich phase. The sporadic bulk nucleation occurring in the pure 3D system is negligible in the pure 2D and in the hybrid systems with sufficiently high PEA content, where only surface crystallization occurs. Moreover, tin-based perovskites form through a direct conversion of a disordered precursor phase without forming ordered solvated intermediates and thus without the need of thermal annealing steps. The findings are used to explain the device performances over a wide range of composition and shed light onto the mechanism of the formation of one of the most promising Sn-based perovskites, providing opportunities to further improve the performances of these interesting Pb-free materials.