Unravelling Degradation Mechanisms and Atomic Structure of Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskites by Cryo-EM

Abstract

As a promising candidate for efficient, scalable, and inexpensive solar cells, hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskites have attracted tremendous research attention. However, their structural degradation during environmental exposure (e.g., UV light, moisture), which limits the commercialization of hybrid perovskites, is poorly understood. Using cryoelectron microscopy, we stabilize these electron beam-sensitive materials for atomic-scale observation and reveal the nanoscale morphology and structure by freezing these materials during the degradation (e.g., UV illumination, moisture exposure) process.

Origin of High Efficiency and Long-Term Stability in Ionic Liquid Perovskite Photovoltaic

“…The clear amorphous GB walls were observed in the MAAc perovskite film ( Figure 4(a) ), while no obvious amorphous region was observed at GBs in the DMF perovskite film ( Figure 4(b) ), which confirms the presence of MAAc at GBs [ 28 , 35 ]. Moreover, the red frame region was magnified and analyzed using fast Fourier transform (FFT), in which an interplanar spacing of 6.3 Å completely coincides with the (110) planes of MAPbI 3 [ 36 ]. We found the same lattice fringes and FFT image in the DMF perovskite film, demonstrating the same perovskite structure in both films, corresponding to the GIWAXS patterns.…”

Halide Perovskite Materials for Energy Storage Applications

“…Subsequent efforts to enhance the perovskite solar cell performance include advanced fabrication technologies such as the vaporphase synthesis, additive engineering, and various packaging and passivation techniques. [45][46][47] In the meantime, theoretical works have been carried out to fully understand the mechanism of the solar energy capture and conversion processes in perovskite solar cell. [48] In perovskite solar cells, the halide perovskite materials are coupled with differing materials and the doping strategy is frequently employed; this adjusts the energy level alignment and benefits the charge transport in the photoactive material.…”

A low-cost and Li-rich organic coating on a Li4Ti5O12anode material enabling Li-ion battery cycling at subzero temperatures

“…The PTCLi 4 -coated LTO powders were not observed via TEM due to the high sensibility of organic molecules to the electron beam irradiation. 50 Thus, micro-Raman and XPS analyses were chosen to confirm the nanometric coverage of the LTO surface. Raman spectroscopy is a spectroscopic technique generally used to obtain information about vibrational modes of molecules or crystals.…”