Daniele Meggiolaro

Light-induced annihilation of Frenkel defects in organo-lead halide perovskites

In spite of the unprecedented advances of organohalide lead perovskites in optoelectronic devices, many of the characteristics of this class of materials remain poorly understood. Several experimental hints point to defect migration as a plausible mechanism underlying such anomalous properties. Here we present an experimental and theoretical investigation combining measurements of PL rise dynamics at varying temperatures with first principles computational modeling of defect migration under light irradiation. We propose a model in which light irradiation promotes the annihilation of VI+/Ii− Frenkel pairs, which we show to be relatively abundant in polycrystalline MAPbI3. This partly restores a non-defective crystalline environment and eliminates the trapping centers associated with such defect pairs. The PL rise time dynamics at varying temperature provide an activation energy consistent with that calculated for migration of iodine defects, supporting the proposed model. We further illustrate a synergistic effect of ion/defect migration and lattice dynamics, with local reorientation of the methylammonium cations assisting the migration of charged defects. Our results provide the interpretative basis for further investigating the unusual light-induced modifications characterizing organohalide perovskites.

Broadband Emission in Two-Dimensional Hybrid Perovskites: The Role of Structural Deformation

Only a selected group of two-dimensional (2D) lead-halide perovskites shows a peculiar broad-band photoluminescence. Here we show that the structural distortions of the perovskite lattice can determine the defectivity of the material by modulating the defect formation energies. By selecting and comparing two archetype systems, namely, (NBT)2PbI4 and (EDBE)PbI4 perovskites (NBT = n-butylammonium and EDBE = 2,2-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylammonium)), we find that only the latter, subject to larger deformation of the Pb-X bond length and X-Pb-X bond angles, sees the formation of VF color centers whose radiative decay ultimately leads to broadened PL. These findings highlight the importance of structural engineering to control the optoelectronic properties of this class of soft materials.

Fluorescent Alloy CsPbxMn1–xI3 Perovskite Nanocrystals with High Structural and Optical Stability

CsPbI3 nanocrystals are still limited in their use because of their phase instability as they degrade into the yellow nonemitting δ-CsPbI3 phase within a few days. We show that alloyed CsPbxMn1–xI3 nanocrystals have essentially the same optical features and crystal structure as the parent α-CsPbI3 system, but they are stable in films and in solution for periods over a month. The stabilization stems from a small decrease in the lattice parameters slightly increasing the Goldsmith tolerance factor, combined with an increase in the cohesive energy. Finally, hybrid density functional calculations confirm that the Mn2+ levels fall within the conduction band, thus not strongly altering the optical properties.

Iodine chemistry determines the defect tolerance of lead-halide perovskites

Metal-halide perovskites are outstanding materials for photovoltaics. Their long carrier lifetimes and diffusion lengths favor efficient charge collection, leading to efficiencies competing with established photovoltaics. These observations suggest an apparently low density of traps in the prototype methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) contrary to the expected high defect density of a low-temperature, solution-processed material. Combining first-principles calculations and spectroscopic measurements we identify less abundant iodine defects as the source of photochemically active deep electron and hole traps in MAPbI3. The peculiar iodine redox chemistry leads, however, to kinetic deactivation of filled electron traps, leaving only short-living hole traps as potentially harmful defects. Under mild oxidizing conditions the amphoteric hole traps can be converted into kinetically inactive electron traps, providing a rationale for the defect tolerance of metal-halide perovskites. Bromine and chlorine doping of MAPbI3 also inactivate hole traps, possibly explaining the superior optoelectronic properties of mixed-halide perovskites.

Superatomic Two-Dimensional Semiconductor

Structural complexity is of fundamental interest in materials science because it often results in unique physical properties and functions. Founded on this idea, the field of solid state chemistry has a long history and continues to be highly active, with new compounds discovered daily. By contrast, the area of two-dimensional (2D) materials is young, but its expansion, although rapid, is limited by a severe lack of structural diversity and complexity. Here, we report a novel 2D semiconductor with a hierarchical structure composed of covalently linked Re6Se8 clusters. The material, a 2D structural analogue of the Chevrel phase, is prepared via mechanical exfoliation of the van der Waals solid Re6Se8Cl2. Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, photoluminescence and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations, we determine the electronic bandgap (1.58 eV), optical bandgap (indirect, 1.48 eV), and exciton binding energy (100 meV) of the material. The latter is consistent with the partially 2D nature of the exciton. Re6Se8Cl2 is the first member of a new family of 2D semiconductors whose structure is built from superatomic building blocks instead of simply atoms; such structures will expand the conceptual design space for 2D materials research.

Ionotronic Halide Perovskite Drift-Diffusive Synapses for Low-Power Neuromorphic Computation

Emulation of brain-like signal processing is the foundation for development of efficient learning circuitry, but few devices offer the tunable conductance range necessary for mimicking spatiotemporal plasticity in biological synapses. An ionic semiconductor which couples electronic transitions with drift-diffusive ionic kinetics would enable energy-efficient analog-like switching of metastable conductance states. Here, ionic-electronic coupling in halide perovskite semiconductors is utilized to create memristive synapses with a dynamic continuous transition of conductance states. Coexistence of carrier injection barriers and ion migration in the perovskite films defines the degree of synaptic plasticity, more notable for the larger organic ammonium and formamidinium cations than the inorganic cesium counterpart. Optimized pulsing schemes facilitates a balanced interplay of short- and long-term plasticity rules like paired-pulse facilitation and spike-time-dependent plasticity, cardinal for learning and computing. Trained as a memory array, halide perovskite synapses demonstrate reconfigurability, learning, forgetting, and fault tolerance analogous to the human brain. Network-level simulations of unsupervised learning of handwritten digit images utilizing experimentally derived device parameters, validates the utility of these memristors for energy-efficient neuromorphic computation, paving way for novel ionotronic neuromorphic architectures with halide perovskites as the active material.