Lance M. Wheeler

Hypervalent surface interactions for colloidal stability and doping of silicon nanocrystals

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals have attracted attention for cost-effective, solution-based deposition of quantum-confined thin films for optoelectronics. However, two significant challenges must be addressed before practical nanocrystal-based devices can be realized. The first is coping with the ligands that terminate the nanocrystal surfaces. Though ligands provide the colloidal stability needed to cast thin films from solution, these ligands dramatically hinder charge carrier transport in the resulting film. Second, after a conductive film is achieved, doping has proven difficult for further control of the optoelectronic properties of the film. Here we report the ability to confront both of these challenges by exploiting the ability of silicon to engage in hypervalent interactions with hard donor molecules. For the first time, we demonstrate the significant potential of applying the interaction to the nanocrystal surface. In this study, hypervalent interactions are shown to provide colloidal stability as well as doping of silicon nanocrystals.

Structural and chemical evolution of methylammonium lead halide perovskites during thermal processing from solution

Following the prominent success of CH3NH3PbI3 in photovoltaics and other optoelectronic applications, focus has been placed on better understanding perovskite crystallization from precursor and intermediate phases in order to facilitate improved crystallinity often desirable for advancing optoelectronic properties. Understanding of stability and degradation is also of critical importance as these materials seek commercial applications. In this study, we investigate the evolution of perovskites formed from targeted precursor chemistries by correlating in situ temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and mass spectral analysis of the evolved species. This suite of analyses reveals important precursor composition-induced variations in the processes underpinning perovskite formation and degradation. The addition of Cl− leads to widely different precursor evolution and perovskite formation kinetics, and results in significant changes to the degradation mechanism, including suppression of crystalline PbI2 formation and modification of the thermal stability of the perovskite phase. This work highlights the role of perovskite precursor chemistry in both its formation and degradation.

Tunable Band Gap Emission and Surface Passivation of Germanium Nanocrystals Synthesized in the Gas Phase

The narrow bulk band gap and large exciton Bohr radius of germanium (Ge) make it an attractive material for optoelectronics utilizing band-gap-tunable photoluminescence (PL). However, realization of PL due to quantum confinement remains scarcely reported. Instead, PL is often observed from surface trap states and is independent of nanocrystal (NC) size. Here, we demonstrate tunable band gap PL by chemically passivating the Ge NC surface. The exchange of native Ge-Cl surface groups with alkyl groups using Grignard reagents leads to the first instance of tunable band gap emission from free-standing Ge NCs synthesized in the gas phase. Ge NCs between 4.8 and 10.2 nm in diameter exhibit near-infrared emission featuring spectral line widths that are at least a factor of 2 narrower than any previous report.

All-Inorganic Germanium Nanocrystal Films by Cationic Ligand Exchange

We introduce a new paradigm for group IV nanocrystal surface chemistry based on room temperature surface activation that enables ionic ligand exchange. Germanium nanocrystals synthesized in a gas-phase plasma reactor are functionalized with labile, cationic alkylammonium ligands rather than with traditional covalently bound groups. We employ Fourier transform infrared and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies to demonstrate the alkylammonium ligands are freely exchanged on the germanium nanocrystal surface with a variety of cationic ligands, including short inorganic ligands such as ammonium and alkali metal cations. This ionic ligand exchange chemistry is used to demonstrate enhanced transport in germanium nanocrystal films following ligand exchange as well as the first photovoltaic device based on an all-inorganic germanium nanocrystal absorber layer cast from solution. This new ligand chemistry should accelerate progress in utilizing germanium and other group IV nanocrystals for optoelectronic applications.

Switchable photovoltaic windows enabled by reversible photothermal complex dissociation from methylammonium lead iodide

Materials with switchable absorption properties have been widely used for smart window applications to reduce energy consumption and enhance occupant comfort in buildings. In this work, we combine the benefits of smart windows with energy conversion by producing a photovoltaic device with a switchable absorber layer that dynamically responds to sunlight. Upon illumination, photothermal heating switches the absorber layer—composed of a metal halide perovskite-methylamine complex—from a transparent state (68% visible transmittance) to an absorbing, photovoltaic colored state (less than 3% visible transmittance) due to dissociation of methylamine. After cooling, the methylamine complex is re-formed, returning the absorber layer to the transparent state in which the device acts as a window to visible light. The thermodynamics of switching and performance of the device are described. This work validates a photovoltaic window technology that circumvents the fundamental tradeoff between efficient solar conversion and high visible light transmittance that limits conventional semitransparent PV window designs.Conventional smart windows with tunable transparency are based on electrochromic systems that consumes energy. Here Wheeler et al. demonstrate a halide perovskite based photo-switchable window that dynamically responds to sunlight and change colors via reversible phase transitions.

Targeted Ligand Exchange Chemistry on Cesium Lead Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots for High-Efficiency Photovoltaics

The ability to manipulate quantum dot (QD) surfaces is foundational to their technological deployment. Surface manipulation of metal halide perovskite (MHP) QDs has proven particularly challenging in comparison to that of more established inorganic materials due to dynamic surface species and low material formation energy; most conventional methods of chemical manipulation targeted at the MHP QD surface will result in transformation or dissolution of the MHP crystal. In previous work, we have demonstrated record-efficiency QD solar cells (QDSCs) based on ligand-exchange procedures that electronically couple MHP QDs yet maintain their nanocrystalline size, which stabilizes the corner-sharing structure of the constituent PbI64- octahedra with optoelectronic properties optimal for solar energy conversion. In this work, we employ a variety of spectroscopic techniques to develop a molecular-level understanding of the MHP QD surface chemistry in this system. We individually target both the anionic (oleate) and cationic (oleylammonium) ligands. We find that atmospheric moisture aids the process by hydrolysis of methyl acetate to generate acetic acid and methanol. Acetic acid then replaces native oleate ligands to yield QD surface-bound acetate and free oleic acid. The native oleylammonium ligands remain throughout this film deposition process and are exchanged during a final treatment step employing smaller cations-namely, formamidinium. This final treatment has a narrow processing window; initial treatment at this stage leads to a more strongly coupled QD regime followed by transformation into a bulk MHP film after longer treatment. These insights provide chemical understanding to the deposition of high-quality, electronically coupled MHP QD films that maintain both quantum confinement and their crystalline phase and attain high photovoltaic performance.