MAPbI3 film grown on mesoporous TiO2 showed better crystallinity, performance and stability compared to its planar counterpart.

A new platform for research and development of inexpensive and efficient solar cells has evolved based on hybrid perovskite absorber material. The power conversion efficiency of polycrystalline perovskite solar cells shot from 3.8% in 2009 to 25.7% in 2022. Even though perovskite solar cells are close to commercialization, their poor operational stability in real time is a matter of concern. The major roadblock is moisture-induced material degradation at polycrystalline absorber material grain boundaries. Single crystalline perovskite materials are explored to overcome this problem. The superior stability of single-crystalline perovskite over polycrystalline counterpart is the significantly reduced grain boundary regions. Other advantages, including high absorption coefficient, low trap densities, long diffusion lengths, large carrier lifetimes, and increased mobility, have made these single-crystalline perovskites more relevant for solar cell application. This review emphasizes the importance of single-crystalline perovskite over polycrystalline perovskite. Further, it provides a comprehensive account of various methods for the growth of single-crystalline perovskite material, their structural, optical, and electrical properties, emphasizing device applications. The methods employed for developing single crystals by different routes have been elaborately discussed. The challenges encountered in integrating the single-crystal monoliths for device applications, the methods evolved to develop single-crystalline films, performance and stability of single-crystalline devices are presented. The future scope of research including uniform thickness controllable films with proper interface engineering, inorganic perovskites for solar cell applications, and potential optoelectronic applications of single-crystal perovskites are discussed.

No abstract