Low-temperature synergistic effect of MA and Cl towards high-quality α-FAPbI3 films for humid-air-processed perovskite solar cells.

Due to the hydrophilicity and black-phase instability of FA perovskites, ambient humidity is an unavoidable issue in the processing of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). MACl is among the most popular additives for improving perovskite films, but our experiments confirm that the direct addition of MACl into the precursor solution deteriorates the stability of the final α-FAPbI3 films in humid air, which is attributed to the unwanted pinholes induced by MACl volatilization. To solve this problem, a novel confined-space annealing strategy (CSA) is intentionally developed to control the amount of MACl at a low level. Through retarding the volatilization of MACl and blocking moisture ingress, dense and δ-phase-free FAPbI3 films with excellent crystallinity and stability are achieved at 100 °C under high humidity (RH: 60 ± 10%). We further compare the same amounts of MAI and FACl additives with MACl, discovering that only when MA and Cl work together can pure α-FAPbI3 films be obtained; therefore, a mechanism of MA-assisted nucleation and Cl-induced diffusion recrystallization is inferred. As a result, the PSCs employing optimal films yield a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.27% and retain over 90% of the initial PCE after exposure to high humidity for 480 h. Our results offer deep insights into the thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors of MA and Cl in film growth and are beneficial for air-processed FA-based PSCs for commercial application.

Synthesis of Fe3O4@PbS hybrid nanoparticles through the combination of surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization and acidolysis by H2S.

A versatile approach to fabricate nanoparticles with multiple functionalities through the combined use of both surface-initiated ATRP and acidolysis by H2S techniques was demonstrated. The hybrid nanoparticles exhibited the core-shell structure having the magnetite nanoparticles as the core and the polymethacrylate as the shell with PbS nanoparticles distributing in the shell. The structure and morphology of the synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The optical and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), respectively. It is observed that the absorption and emission behaviors of the Fe3O4@PbS hybrid nanoparticles were seriously influenced by the ATRP time and the reaction time with H2S. The saturated magnetization (Ms) decreased with the increase of ATRP time due to the formation of thicker shells coating on the surfaces of magnetite nanoparticles.