CTAB assisted solvent-free mechanosynthesis of MAPbX3 nanocrystals: Stability, and photoresponse

Abstract

In this study, we have used only multifunctional cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with a mechano-synthesis approach, which involves hand grinding to grow hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite, HPs, (MAPbX3, X ​= ​Br, I). Simplicity, swiftness, reproducibility, and harmony with green chemistry credentials make the mechano-synthesis process a preferable approach to the synthesis of HPs. We have prepared HPs using an equimolar amount of MAX and PbX2 with a mmol amount of CTAB. Steady-state photoluminescence, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and time correlate single-photon count (TCSPC) were performed to investigate the optical and structural features of mechanochemically produced perovskite. The thermogravimetric analysis informs about the thermal stability of the nanocrystals. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that mechanochemically synthesized HPs show high crystallinity and phase purity with stability over a period of time. The photoinduced current response of the perovskite reveals an excellent increase in photoconductivity when exposed to light (with a 1 ​V bias). The device fabricated of perovskite witnessed the prompt photoresponse under light illumination and temporally-stable photocurrent over the multiple cycles of light irradiation. The synthesized materials are useful for photovoltaic applications because of their phase purity, low bandgap, nanoscale size, long-term stability, and easy-to-produce approach.