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18 items found (0 items not approved), displaying 1 to 10.[First/Prev] 1, 2 [Next/Last]

Instruments / Technical Area	Publication Details	Published
I07-Surface & interface diffraction	Crystal-facet-directed all-vacuum-deposited perovskite solar cells Xinyi Shen , Wing Tung Hui , Shuaifeng Hu , Fengning Yang , Junke Wang , Jin Yao , Atse Louwen , Bryan Siu Ting Tam , Lirong Rong , David P. Mcmeekin , Kilian Lohmann , Qimu Yuan , Matthew C. Naylor , Manuel Kober-Czerny , Seongrok Seo , Philippe Holzhey , Karl-Augustin Zaininger , M. Greyson Christoforo , Perrine Carroy , Vincent Barth , Fion Sze Yan Yeung , Nakita K. Noel , Michael Johnston , Yen-Hung Lin , Henry J. Snaith Nature Materials 32 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-026-02494-w Diamond Proposal Number(s): [39532] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Vacuum-based deposition is a scalable, solvent-free industrial method ideal for uniform coatings on complex substrates. However, all-vacuum-deposited perovskite solar cells fabricated by thermal evaporation trail solution-processed counterparts in efficiency and stability due to film quality challenges, necessitating advancement and improved understanding. Here, we report a co-evaporation route for 1.67-eV wide-bandgap perovskites by introducing a PbCl2 co-source to optimize film quality. We promote perovskite formation with pronounced (100) ‘face-up’ orientation and deliver a certified all-vacuum-deposited solar cell with 18.35% efficiency (19.3% in the laboratory) for 0.25-cm2 devices (18.5% for 1-cm2 cells). These cells retain 80% of peak efficiency after 1,080 h under the ISOS-L-2 protocol. Leveraging operando hyperspectral imaging, we provide spatiotemporal spectral insight into halide segregation and trap-mediated recombination, correlating microscopic luminescence features with macroscopic device performance while distinguishing radiative from non-ideal recombination channels. We further demonstrate 27.2%-efficient 1-cm2 evaporated perovskite-on-silicon tandem cells and outdoor stability of all-vacuum-deposited tandems in Italy, retaining ~80% initial performance after eight months.	Feb 2026
E02-JEM ARM 300CF	Enhanced stability and linearly polarized emission from CsPbI3 perovskite nanoplatelets through A-site cation engineering Woo Hyeon Jeong , Junzhi Ye , Jongbeom Kim , Rui Xu , Xinyu Shen , Chia-Yu Chang , Eilidh L. Quinn , Hyungju Ahn , Myoung Hoon Song , Peter D. Nellist , Henry J. Snaith , Yunwei Zhang , Bo Ram Lee , Robert L. Z. Hoye Light: Science & Applications 15 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-025-02135-y Diamond Proposal Number(s): [40059] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: The anisotropy of perovskite nanoplatelets (PeNPLs) opens up many opportunities in optoelectronics, including enabling the emission of linearly polarized light. But the limited stability of PeNPLs is a pressing challenge, especially for red-emitting CsPbI3. Herein, we address this limitation by alloying formamidinium (FA) into the perovskite cuboctahedral site. Unlike Cs/FA alloying in bulk thin films or nanocubes, FA incorporation in nanoplatelets requires meticulous control over the reaction conditions, given that nanoplatelets are obtained in kinetically-driven growth regimes instead of thermodynamically-driven conditions. Through in-situ photoluminescence (PL) measurements, we find that excess FA leads to uncontrolled growth, where phase impurities and nanoplatelets of multiple thicknesses co-exist. Restricting the FA content to up to 25% Cs substitution enables monodisperse PeNPLs, and increases the PL quantum yield (from 53% to 61%), exciton lifetime (from 18 ns to 27 ns), and stability in ambient air (from ~2 days to >7 days) compared to CsPbI3. This arises due to hydrogen bonding between FA and the oleate and oleylammonium ligands, anchoring them to the surface to improve optoelectronic properties and stability. The reduction in non-radiative recombination, improvement in the nanoplatelet aspect ratio, and higher ligand density lead to FA-containing PeNPLs more effectively forming edge-up superlattices, enhancing the PL degree of linear polarization from 5.1% (CsPbI3) to 9.4% (Cs0.75FA0.25PbI3). These fundamental insights show how the stability limitations of PeNPLs could be addressed, and these materials grown more precisely to improve their performance as polarized light emitters, critical for utilizing them in next-generation display, bioimaging, and communications applications.	Jan 2026
I19-Small Molecule Single Crystal Diffraction	Tailoring a lead-free organic-inorganic halobismuthate for large piezoelectric effect Esther Y. H. Hung , Benjamin M. Gallant , Robert Harniman , Jakob Moebs , Santanu Saha , Khaled Kaja , Charles Godfrey , Shrestha Banerjee , Nikolaos Famakidis , Harish Bhaskaran , Marina R. Filip , Paolo Radaelli , Nakita K. Noel , Dominik J. Kubicki , Harry C. Sansom , Henry J. Snaith Journal Of The American Chemical Society DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c15484 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [36669] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Molecular piezoelectrics are a potentially disruptive technology, enabling a new generation of self-powered electronics that are flexible, high performing, and inherently low in toxicity. Although significant efforts have been made toward understanding their structural design by targeted manipulation of phase transition behavior, the resulting achievable piezoresponse has remained limited. In this work, we use a low-symmetry, zero-dimensional (0D) inorganic framework alongside a carefully selected ‘quasi-spherical’ organic cation to manipulate organic–inorganic interactions and thus form the hybrid, piezoelectric material [(CH3)3NCH2I]3Bi2I9. Using variable–temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we demonstrate that this material simultaneously exhibits an order–disorder and displacive symmetry-breaking phase transition. This phase transition is mediated by halogen bonding between the organic and inorganic frameworks and results in a large piezoelectric response, d33 = 161.5 pm/V. This value represents a 4-fold improvement on previously reported halobismuthate piezoelectrics and is comparable to those of commercial inorganic piezoelectrics, thus offering a new pathway toward low-cost, low-toxicity mechanical energy harvesting and actuating devices.	Nov 2025
I07-Surface & interface diffraction	Approaching the radiative limits for wide bandgap perovskite solar cells using fullerene blend electron transport interlayers Josephine L. Surel , Pietro Caprioglio , Joel A. Smith , Akash Dasgupta , Francesco Furlan , Charlie Henderson , Fengning Yang , Benjamin M. Gallant , Seongrok Seo , Alexander Knight , Manuel Kober-Czerny , Joel Luke , David P. Mcmeekin , Alexander I. Tartakovskii , Ji-Seon Kim , Nicola Gasparini , Henry J. Snaith Ees Solar 17 DOI: 10.1039/D5EL00103J Diamond Proposal Number(s): [33462] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Performance losses in positive–intrinsic–negative architecture perovskite solar cells are dominated by nonradiative recombination at the perovskite/organic electron transport layer interface, which is particularly problematic for wider bandgap perovskites. Large endeavours have been dedicated to the replacement of fullerenes, which are the most commonly used class of electron transport layers, with limited success thus far. In this work, we demonstrate blending the fullerene derivatives [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and indene-C60 bis-adduct (ICBA) as a thin interlayer between 1.77 eV bandgap perovskite and an evaporated C60 layer. By tuning the fullerene blend to a trace 2% by mass of PCBM in ICBA, we remarkably form an interlayer which features improved energetic alignment with the perovskite and the PCBM[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]ICBA fullerene mixture, together with a stronger molecular ordering and an order of magnitude higher electron mobility than either neat PCBM or ICBA. Additional molecular surface passivation approaches are found to be beneficial in conjunction with this approach, resulting in devices with 19.5% steady state efficiency, a fill factor of 0.85 and an open-circuit voltage of 1.33 V, which is within 10% of the radiative limit of the latter two device parameters for this bandgap. This work highlights the complex nonlinear energetic behaviour with fullerene mixing, and how control of the energetics and crystallinity of these materials is crucial in overcoming the detrimental recombination losses that have historically limited perovskite solar cells.	Jul 2025
I07-Surface & interface diffraction	Interdiffusion control in sequentially evaporated organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells Rahul A. Nambiar , David P. Mcmeekin , Manuel Kober Czerny , Joel A. Smith , Margherita Taddei , Pietro Caprioglio , Amit Kumar , Benjamin W. Putland , Junke Wang , Karim A. Elmestekawy , Akash Dasgupta , Seongrok Seo , M. Greyson Christoforo , Jin Yao , Daniel J. Graham , Laura M. Herz , David Ginger , Henry J. Snaith Ees Solar 380 DOI: 10.1039/D5EL00017C Diamond Proposal Number(s): [33462] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Vacuum deposition of metal halide perovskite is a scalable and adaptable method. In this study, we adopt sequential evaporation to form the perovskite layer and reveal how the relative humidity during the annealing step, impacts its crystallinity and the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). By controlling the humidity, we achieved a significant enhancement of 50 times in PLQY from 0.12% to 6%. This improvement corresponds to an increase in implied open-circuit voltage (Voc) of over 100 meV. We investigate the origin of this enhanced PLQY by combining structural, chemical and spectroscopic methods. Our results show that annealing in a controlled humid environment improves the organic and inorganic halides' interdiffusion throughout the bulk, which in turn significantly reduces non-radiative recombination both in the bulk and at the interfaces with the charge transport layers, which enhanced both the attainable open-circuit voltage and the charge carrier diffusion length. We further demonstrate that the enhanced intermixing results in fully vacuum-deposited FA0.85Cs0.15Pb(IxCl1−x)3 p-i-n perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a maximum power point tracked efficiency of 21.0% under simulated air mass (AM) 1.5G 100 mW cm−2 irradiance. Additionally, controlled humidity annealed PSCs exhibit superior stability when aged under full spectrum simulated solar illumination at 85 °C and in open-circuit conditions.	Mar 2025
I07-Surface & interface diffraction	A green solvent enables precursor phase engineering of stable formamidinium lead triiodide perovskite solar cells Benjamin M. Gallant , Philippe Holzhey , Joel A. Smith , Saqlain Choudhary , Karim A. Elmestekawy , Pietro Caprioglio , Igal Levine , Alexandra A. Sheader , Esther Y.-H. Hung , Fengning Yang , Daniel T. W. Toolan , Rachel C. Kilbride , Karl-Augustin Zaininger , James M. Ball , M. Greyson Christoforo , Nakita K. Noel , Laura M. Herz , Dominik J. Kubicki , Henry J. Snaith Nature Communications 15 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54113-4 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [33462] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) offer an efficient, inexpensive alternative to current photovoltaic technologies, with the potential for manufacture via high-throughput coating methods. However, challenges for commercial-scale solution-processing of metal-halide perovskites include the use of harmful solvents, the expense of maintaining controlled atmospheric conditions, and the inherent instabilities of PSCs under operation. Here, we address these challenges by introducing a high volatility, low toxicity, biorenewable solvent system to fabricate a range of 2D perovskites, which we use as highly effective precursor phases for subsequent transformation to α-formamidinium lead triiodide (α-FAPbI3), fully processed under ambient conditions. PSCs utilising our α-FAPbI3 reproducibly show remarkable stability under illumination and elevated temperature (ISOS-L-2) and “damp heat” (ISOS-D-3) stressing, surpassing other state-of-the-art perovskite compositions. We determine that this enhancement is a consequence of the 2D precursor phase crystallisation route, which simultaneously avoids retention of residual low-volatility solvents (such as DMF and DMSO) and reduces the rate of degradation of FA+ in the material. Our findings highlight both the critical role of the initial crystallisation process in determining the operational stability of perovskite materials, and that neat FA+-based perovskites can be competitively stable despite the inherent metastability of the α-phase.	Nov 2024
	Roadmap on established and emerging photovoltaics for sustainable energy conversion James C Blakesley , Ruy Sebastian Bonilla , Marina Freitag , Alex Ganose , Nicola Gasparini , Pascal Kaienburg , George Koutsourakis , Jonathan D. Major , Jenny Nelson , Nakita K. Noel , Bart Roose , Jae Sung Yun , Simon Aliwell , Pietro Altermatt , Tayebeh Ameri , Virgil Andrei , Ardalan Armin , Diego Bagnis , Jenny Baker , Hamish Beath , Mathieu Bellanger , Philippe Berrouard , Jochen Blumberger , Stuart Boden , Hugo Bronstein , Matthew J. Carnie , Chris Case , Fernando A. Castro , Yi-Ming Chang , Elmer Chao , Tracey M. Clarke , Graeme Cooke , Pablo Docampo , Ken Durose , James Durrant , Marina Filip , Richard H. Friend , Jarvist M. Frost , Elizabeth Gibson , Alexander J. Gillett , Pooja Goddard , Severin Habisreutinger , Martin Heeney , Arthur D. Hendsbee , Louise C. Hirst , Saiful Islam , Imalka Jayawardena , Michael Johnston , Matthias Kauer , Jeff Kettle , Ji-Seon Kim , Dan Lamb , David G. Lidzey , Jihoo Lim , Roderick Mackenzie , Nigel Mason , Iain Mcculloch , Keith Mckenna , Sebastian Meier , Paul Meredith , Graham Morse , John Murphy , Chris Nicklin , Paloma Ortega-Arriaga , Thomas Osterberg , Jay Patel , Anthony Peaker , Moritz Riede , Martyn Rush , James Ryan , David O. Scanlon , Peter Skabara , Franky So , Henry J. Snaith , Ludmilla Steier , Jarla Thiesbrummel , Alessandro Troisi , Craig Underwood , Karsten Walzer , Trystan M. Watson , Michael Walls , Aron Walsh , Lucy D. Whalley , Benedict Winchester , Sam Stranks , Robert Hoye Journal Of Physics: Energy DOI: 10.1088/2515-7655/ad7404 Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Photovoltaics (PVs) are a critical technology for curbing growing levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and meeting increases in future demand for low-carbon electricity. In order to fulfil ambitions for net-zero carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) emissions worldwide, the global cumulative capacity of solar PVs must increase by an order of magnitude from 0.9 TWp in 2021 to 8.5 TWp by 2050 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, which is considered to be a highly conservative estimate. In 2020, the Henry Royce Institute brought together the UK PV community to discuss the critical technological and infrastructure challenges that need to be overcome to address the vast challenges in accelerating PV deployment. Herein, we examine the key developments in the global community, especially the progress made in the field since this earlier roadmap, bringing together experts primarily from the UK across the breadth of the photovoltaics community. The focus is both on the challenges in improving the efficiency, stability and levelized cost of electricity of current technologies for utility-scale PVs, as well as the fundamental questions in novel technologies that can have a significant impact on emerging markets, such as indoor PVs, space PVs, and agrivoltaics. We discuss challenges in advanced metrology and computational tools, as well as the growing synergies between PVs and solar fuels, and offer a perspective on the environmental sustainability of the PV industry. Through this roadmap, we emphasize promising pathways forward in both the short- and long-term, and for communities working on technologies across a range of maturity levels to learn from each other.	Aug 2024
I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism - scattering	Probing the local electronic structure in metal halide perovskites through cobalt substitution Amir A. Haghighirad , Matthew T. Klug , L. B. Duffy , Junjie Liu , Arzhang Ardavan , Gerrit Van Der Laan , Thorsten Hesjedal , Henry J. Snaith Small Methods 642 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300095 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [16141] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: Owing to the unique chemical and electronic properties arising from 3d-electrons, substitution with transition metal ions is one of the key routes for engineering new functionalities into materials. While this approach has been used extensively in complex metal oxide perovskites, metal halide perovskites have largely resisted facile isovalent substitution. In this work, it is demonstrated that the substitution of Co2+ into the lattice of methylammonium lead triiodide imparts magnetic behavior to the material while maintaining photovoltaic performance at low concentrations. In addition to comprehensively characterizing its magnetic properties, the Co2+ ions themselves are utilized as probes to sense the local electronic environment of Pb in the perovskite, thereby revealing the nature of their incorporation into the material. A comprehensive understanding of the effect of transition metal incorporation is provided, thereby opening the substitution gateway for developing novel functional perovskite materials and devices for future technologies.	Mar 2023
I07-Surface & interface diffraction	Binary solvent system used to fabricate fully annealing-free perovskite solar cells Elena J. Cassella , Emma L. K. Spooner , Joel A. Smith , Timothy Thornber , Mary E. O'Kane , Robert D. J. Oliver , Thomas E. Catley , Saqlain Choudhary , Christopher J. Wood , Deborah B. Hammond , Henry J. Snaith , David G. Lidzey Advanced Energy Materials 8 DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202203468 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [30612] Open Access Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: High temperature post-deposition annealing of hybrid lead halide perovskite thin films—typically lasting at least 10 min—dramatically limits the maximum roll-to-roll coating speed, which determines solar module manufacturing costs. While several approaches for “annealing-free” perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been demonstrated, many are of limited feasibility for scalable fabrication. Here, this work has solvent-engineered a high vapor pressure solvent mixture of 2-methoxy ethanol and tetrahydrofuran to deposit highly crystalline perovskite thin-films at room temperature using gas-quenching to remove the volatile solvents. Using this approach, this work demonstrates p-i-n devices with an annealing-free MAPbI3 perovskite layer achieving stabilized power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of up to 18.0%, compared to 18.4% for devices containing an annealed perovskite layer. This work then explores the deposition of self-assembled molecules as the hole-transporting layer without annealing. This work finally combines the methods to create fully annealing-free devices having stabilized PCEs of up to 17.1%. This represents the state-of-the-art for annealing-free fabrication of PSCs with a process fully compatible with roll-to-roll manufacture.	Feb 2023
I07-Surface & interface diffraction	Ethylenediamine addition improves performance and suppresses phase instabilities in mixed-halide perovskites Margherita Taddei , Joel A. Smith , Benjamin M. Gallant , Suer Zhou , Robert J. E. Westbrook , Yangwei Shi , Jian Wang , James N. Drysdale , Declan P. Mccarthy , Stephen Barlow , Seth R. Marder , Henry J. Snaith , David S. Ginger Acs Energy Letters DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.2c01998 Diamond Proposal Number(s): [30612] Show Abstract ▼ Abstract: We show that adding ethylenediamine (EDA) to perovskite precursor solutions improves the photovoltaic device performance and material stability of high-bromide-content, methylammonium-free, formamidinium cesium lead halide perovskites FA1–xCsxPb(I1–yBry)3, which are currently of interest for perovskite-on-Si tandem solar cells. Using spectroscopy and hyperspectral microscopy, we show that the additive improves film homogeneity and suppresses the phase instability that is ubiquitous in high-Br perovskite formulations, producing films that remain stable for over 100 days in ambient conditions. With the addition of 1 mol % EDA, we demonstrate 1.69 eV-gap perovskite single-junction p-i-n devices with a VOC of 1.22 V and a champion maximum-power-point-tracked power conversion efficiency of 18.8%, comparable to the best reported methylammonium-free perovskites. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques, we show that EDA reacts with FA+ in solution, rapidly and quantitatively forming imidazolinium cations. It is the presence of imidazolinium during crystallization which drives the improved perovskite thin-film properties.	Nov 2022

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