2D layered hybrid perovskites are currently in the spotlight for applications such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, transistors and photodetectors. The structural freedom of 2D layered perovskites allows for the incorporation of organic cations that can potentially possess properties contributing to the performance of the hybrid as a whole. In this study, we incorporated a benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene (BTBT) alkylammonium cation into the organic layer of a 2D layered lead iodide perovskite. The formation and degradation of this material are discussed in detail. It is shown that the use of a solvent vapour annealing method significantly enhances the absorption, emission and crystallinity of films of this 2D layered perovskite as compared to regular thermal annealing. The photoconductivity of the films was determined using time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) as well as in a device. In both cases, the solvent vapour annealed films show markedly higher photoconductivity than the films obtained using the regular thermal annealing approach.

Two-dimensional (2D) hybrid perovskites make up an emerging class of materials for optoelectronic applications in which inorganic octahedral layers are separated by nonconductive large organic cations. This leads to a high-dimensional and dielectric confinement and hence a high exciton binding energy, which severely limits their application in devices in which charge carrier separation is required. In this work, we achieve improved charge separation by replacing nonconductive organic cations with organic charge-transfer complexes consisting of a pyrene donor and a tetracyanoquinodimethane acceptor. Steady-state absorption measurements show that these materials exhibit optical features that match with the absorption of the organic charge-transfer complexes. Using microwave conductivity and femtosecond transient absorption, we show that photoexcitation of these charge-transfer states leads to long-lived mobile charges in the inorganic layers. While the efficiency of charge separation is relatively low, these experiments demonstrate that it is possible to induce charge separation in solid-state 2D perovskites by engineering the organic layer.

Low-dimensional lead halide hybrid perovskites are nowadays in the spotlight because of their improved stability and extensive chemical flexibility compared to their 3D perovskite counterparts, the current challenge being to design functionalized organic cations. Here, we report on the synthesis and full characterization of a perovskite-like hybrid (a perovskitoid) where the 1D lead iodide layout is patterned with a donor-acceptor charge transfer complex (CTC) between pyrene and tetracyanoquinodimethane, with a chemical formula of (C₂₀H₁₇NH₃)PbI₃·(C₁₂H₄N₄). By combining multiple structural analysis and spectroscopic techniques with ab initio modeling, we show that the electronic, optical, and charge-transport properties of the hybrid materials are dominated by the organic CTC, with the inorganic backbone primarily acting as a template for the organization of the donor and acceptor molecules. Interestingly, time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) measurements show an enhanced photocurrent generation in the 1D hybrid compared to the pure organic charge-transfer salt, likely associated with transient localization of the holes on the lead-iodide octahedra. This observation is in line with the close energy resonance between the valence crystal orbitals of the lead-iodide lattice and the frontier occupied molecular orbitals of pyrene predicted by the DFT calculations. Therefore, it paves the way toward the design of new hybrid low-dimensionality perovskites offering a synergic combination of organic and inorganic functionalities.

Research into 2D layered hybrid perovskites is on the rise due to the enhanced stability of these materials compared to 3D hybrid perovskites. Recently, interest towards the use of functional organic cations for these materials is increasing. However, a vast amount of the parameter space remains unexplored in multi-layered (n > 1) hybrid perovskites for solar cell applications. Here, we incorporate carbazole derivatives as a proof of concept towards the use of tailored functional molecules in multi-layered perovskites. Films of low-n carbazole containing perovskites show high photoconductivity half-lifetimes. Higher-n (〈n〉 = 40) multi-layered perovskite films possess charge carrier diffusion lengths comparable to MAPI thin films. Solar cells containing these materials have comparable efficiencies to our MAPI and phenethylammonium (PEA)-containing multi-layered perovskite reference devices. Moisture stability tests were performed both at the material and device levels. In comparison to MAPI and PEA-based materials and solar cells, the addition of a small percentage of the carbazole derivative to the perovskite material significantly enhances the moisture stability.