Huotian Zhang

Reversible air-induced optical and electrical modulation of methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3) single crystals

The photoluminescence (PL) variations of organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskites in different atmospheres are well documented, while the fundamental mechanism still lacks comprehensive understandings. This study reports the reversible optical and electrical properties of methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3 or CH3NH3PbBr3) single crystals caused by air infiltration. With the change in the surrounding atmosphere from air to vacuum, the PL intensity of perovskite single crystals decreases, while the conductivity increases. By means of first-principles computational studies, the shallow trap states are considered as key elements in PL and conductivity changes. These results have important implications for the characterization and application of organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskites in vacuum.

Temperature-dependent electronic properties of inorganic-organic hybrid halide perovskite (CH3NH3PbBr3) single crystal

In this paper, the temperature-dependent electronic properties of inorganic-organic hybrid halide perovskite (CH3NH3PbBr3) single crystals are investigated. The dynamic current-time measurement results at different temperatures directly demonstrate that the electrical properties of the perovskite single crystal are dependent on the work temperature. We find that the Poole-Frankel conduction mechanism fits the current-voltage curves at small bias voltage (0–1 V) under darkness, which is mainly attributed to the surface defect states. The capability of carriers de-trapping from defects varies with different work temperatures, resulting in an increased current as the temperature increases under both darkness and illumination. In addition, the different transient photocurrent responses of incident light at two wavelengths (470 nm, 550 nm) further confirm the existence of defect states on the single crystal surface.

Hydrazinium Salt as Additive To Improve Film Morphology and Carrier Lifetime for High-Efficiency Planar-Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cells via One-Step Method

One-step solution process is the simplest method to fabricate organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite thin films, which however does not work well when employed in the planar-heterojunction (PHJ) solar cells due to the generally poor film morphology. Here we show that hydrazinium chloride can be used as an additive in the precursor solution to produce perovskite films featuring higher coverage and better crystallinity. The light absorption ability and charge carrier lifetime are both significantly improved accordingly. Under the optimal additive ratio, the average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the inverted PHJ perovskite solar cells greatly increases by as much as 70%, and the champion device shows a satisfying PCE of 12.66%. These results suggest that N2H5Cl is a promising additive for fabricating high-efficiency perovskite solar cells via one-step method, which could be of interest in the future commercial solar cell industry.

Aerosol jet printed silver nanowire transparent electrode for flexible electronic application

Aerosol jet printing technology enables fine feature deposition of electronic materials onto low-temperature, non-planar substrates without masks. In this work, silver nanowires (AgNWs) are proposed to be printed into transparent flexible electrodes using a Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition Aerosol Jet® printing system on a glass substrate. The influence of the most significant process parameters, including printing cycles, printing speed, and nozzle size, on the performance of AgNW electrodes was systematically studied. The morphologies of printed patterns were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and the transmittance was evaluated using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. Under optimum conditions, high transparent AgNW electrodes with a sheet resistance of 57.68 Ω/sq and a linewidth of 50.9 μm were obtained, which is an important step towards a higher performance goal for flexible electronic applications.

Temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra and decay dynamics of MAPbBr3 and MAPbI3 thin films

The steady-state spectra and fluorescence lifetimes are investigated under vacuum for methylammonium lead bromide and iodide (CH3NH3PbBr3 or MAPbBr3, and CH3NH3PbI3 or MAPbI3) thin films by stably controlling the sample temperature in the range of 78 K to 320 K. The transformation of spectrum features and lifetime components are proved to be quite sensitive to the temperatures in accordance with the phase transition of structures. Our work demonstrates that the halide anions I- and Br- lead to remarkable differences on optical characteristics. Due to the distinct behaviors of excitons, electron-hole pairs and free carriers in decay channels, MAPbI3 has much longer lifetime and higher low-temperature fluorescence efficiency than those of MAPbBr3. The findings provide possible choices for certain perovskites under various ambient temperature conditions to display photovoltaic or luminescent advantage.

Ferromagnetic-organic interfacial states and their role on low voltage current injection in tris-8-hydroxyquinloline (Alq3) organic spin valves

Organic Spin Valves (OSVs) operate at small bias (<100 mV) when carrier injection should not occur due to injection barriers and in built potentials. We explore the consequences of hybrid-interface states between a ferromagnetic electrode and an organic semiconductor in OSV carrier injection. By temperature-dependent Dark Injection measurements, we observe hole trapping due to these filled states and measure a low thermal activation energy (∼100 meV) of the carrier density within OSVs. The small injection barrier is consistent with a significant interfacial potential, due to hybrid-interface state filling, overcoming the injection barrier due to the electrode work function—transport level mismatch.