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Methylammonium Bismuth Iodide as a Lead‐Free, Stable Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Solar Absorber
Author(s) -
Hoye Robert L. Z.,
Brandt Riley E.,
Osherov Anna,
Stevanović Vladan,
Stranks Samuel D.,
Wilson Mark W. B.,
Kim Hyunho,
Akey Austin J.,
Perkins John D.,
Kurchin Rachel C.,
Poindexter Jeremy R.,
Wang Evelyn N.,
Bawendi Moungi G.,
Bulović Vladimir,
Buonassisi Tonio
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201505055
Subject(s) - bismuth , halide , iodide , materials science , ternary operation , photoluminescence , perovskite (structure) , chemical engineering , chemical physics , inorganic chemistry , optoelectronics , chemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , computer science , engineering , programming language
Methylammonium lead halide (MAPbX 3 ) perovskites exhibit exceptional carrier transport properties. But their commercial deployment as solar absorbers is currently limited by their intrinsic instability in the presence of humidity and their lead content. Guided by our theoretical predictions, we explored the potential of methylammonium bismuth iodide (MBI) as a solar absorber through detailed materials characterization. We synthesized phase‐pure MBI by solution and vapor processing. In contrast to MAPbX 3 , MBI is air stable, forming a surface layer that does not increase the recombination rate. We found that MBI luminesces at room temperature, with the vapor‐processed films exhibiting superior photoluminescence (PL) decay times that are promising for photovoltaic applications. The thermodynamic, electronic, and structural features of MBI that are amenable to these properties are also present in other hybrid ternary bismuth halide compounds. Through MBI, we demonstrate a lead‐free and stable alternative to MAPbX 3 that has a similar electronic structure and nanosecond lifetimes.