Structurally Flexible 2D Spacer for Suppressing the Electron-Phonon Coupling Induced Non-Radiative Decay in Perovskite Solar Cells

This study presents experimental evidence of the dependence of non-radiative recombination processes on the electron-phonon coupling of perovskite in perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Via A-site cation engineering,a weaker electron-phonon coupling in perovskite has been achieved by introducing the structurally soft cyclohexane methylamine(CMA^(+))cation,which could serve as a damper to alleviate the mechanical stress caused by lattice oscillations,compared to the rigid phenethyl methylamine(PEA^(+))analog.It demonstrates a significantly lower non-radiative recombination rate,even though the two types of bulky cations have similar chemical passivation effects on perovskite,which might be explained by the suppressed carrier capture process and improved lattice geometry relaxation.The resulting PSCs achieve an exceptional power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 25.5%with a record-high opencircuit voltage(V_(OC))of 1.20 V for narrow bandgap perovskite(FAPbI_(3)).The established correlations between electron-phonon coupling and non-radiative decay provide design and screening criteria for more effective passivators for highly efficient PSCs approaching the Shockley-Queisser limit.

Unveiling a novel metal-to-metal transition in LuH_(2):Critically challenging superconductivity claims in lutetium hydrides

Following the recent report by Dasenbrock-Gammon et al.[Nature 615,244–250(2023)]of near-ambient superconductivity in nitrogendoped lutetium trihydride(LuH_(3-δ)N_(ε)),significant debate has emerged surrounding the composition and interpretation of the observed sharp resistance drop.Here,we meticulously revisit these claims through comprehensive characterization and investigations.We definitively identify the reported material as lutetium dihydride(LuH_(2)),resolving the ambiguity surrounding its composition.Under similar conditions(270–295 K and 1–2 GPa),we replicate the reported sharp decrease in electrical resistance with a 30%success rate,aligning with the observations by Dasenbrock-Gammon et al.However,our extensive investigations reveal this phenomenon to be a novel pressure-induced metal-to-metal transition intrinsic to LuH_(2),distinct from superconductivity.Intriguingly,nitrogen doping exerts minimal impact on this transition.Our work not only elucidates the fundamental properties of LuH_(2)andLuH_(3),but also critically challenges the notion of superconductivity in these lutetium hydride systems.These findings pave the way for future research on lutetium hydride systems,while emphasizing the crucial importance of rigorous verification in claims of ambient-temperature superconductivity.

Pressure-induced robust emission in a zero-dimensional hybrid metal halide (C_(9)NH_(20))_(6)Pb_(3)Br_(12)

Zero-dimensional(0D)hybrid metal halides are under intensive investigation owing to their unique physical properties,such as the broadband emission from highly localized excitons that is promising for white-emitting lighting.However,fundamental understanding of emission variations and structure–property relationships is still limited.Here,by using pressure processing,we obtain robust exciton emission in 0D(C_(9)NH_(20))_(6)Pb_(3)Br_(12) at room temperature that can survive to 80 GPa,the recorded highest value among all the hybrid metal halides.In situ experimental characterization and first-principles calculations reveal that the pressure-induced emission is mainly caused by the largely suppressed phonon-assisted nonradiative pathway.Lattice compression leads to phonon hardening,which considerably weakens the exciton–phonon interaction and thus enhances the emission.The robust emission is attributed to the unique structure of separated spring-like[Pb_(3)Br_(12)]^(6−)trimers,which leads to the outstanding stability of the optically active inorganic units.Our findings not only reveal abnormally robust emission in a 0D metal halide,but also provide new insight into the design and optimization of local structures of trimers and oligomers in lowdimensional hybrid materials.

Pressure Distinguishes the Dual Emissions in Pseudohalide 2D Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskite Cs_(2)Pb(SCN)_(2)Br_(2)

Two-dimensional(2D)Ruddlesden-Popper(RP)halide perovskites with diverse structures and properties have drawn increasing attention due to their promising optoelectronic applications.Recently,a new all-inorganic Cs_(2)Pb(SCN)_(2)Br_(2) has been reported that opens up new potential for the development of 2D RP perovskites.However,recent reports of unusual dual emissions and two-edge absorption in Cs_(2)Pb(SCN)_(2)Br_(2) have generated intense debate about its origin and remains controversial.Here,by combining continuous pressure tuning with in situ diagnostics,we have unambiguously revealed the underlying mechanisms that the 2D Cs_(2)Pb(SCN)_(2)Br_(2) exhibits an intrinsic blue emission at 2.66 eV and an absorption edge close to the emission peak.While the gradually formed CsPbBr_(3) is responsible for the green emission at 2.33 eV with the absorption shoulder at 2.41 eV.Furthermore,by fitting the temperature-dependent intensity of the intrinsic blue emission,we have determined the corrected value of exciton binding energy for 2D Cs_(2)Pb(SCN)_(2)Br_(2) to be 90 meV.Intriguingly,an emission enhancement of 2.5 times is achieved in Cs_(2)Pb(SCN)_(2)Br_(2) under a mild pressure within 0.8 GPa,caused by the pressuresuppressed exciton-phonon interaction.This work not only elucidates the origin of the dual emissions and two-edge absorption in Cs_(2)Pb(SCN)_(2)Br_(2),but it also provides a potential means to regulate and optimize the optoelectronic properties of 2D perovskites.

Pressure-induced Lifshitz transition in the type Ⅱ Dirac semimetal PtTe_2

Numerous exotic properties have been discovered in Dirac Semimetals(DSMs) and Weyl Semimetals(WSMs). In a given DSM/WSM, the Dirac/Weyl nodes usually coexist with other bulk states, making their respective contribution elusive. In this work, we distinguish the role of bulk states from the tilted Dirac nodes on the transport properties in DSMs. Specifically, we applied pressure to a type-II DSM material, PtTe2, and studied its pressure modified electronic and lattice structure systematically by using in situ transport measurements and X-ray diffraction(XRD). A pressure-induced transition at about 20 GPa is revealed in the transport properties, while the layered lattice structure is robust against pressure as illustrated in XRD measurement results.Density functional theory(DFT) calculations suggest that this is originated from the Lifshitz transition in the bulk states. Our findings provide evidence to identify the bulk states' influence on transport from the topologically-protected DSM states in the DSM material.