Cation Migration in Physically Paired 2D and 3D Lead Halide Perovskite Films

2D/3D interfaces provide long-term stability for the operation of metal halide perovskite solar cells. However, the cation migration under heat and light can disturb the interface and create a graded cation interface. This study has now probed the cation migration by physically pairing X2PbI4 (X = butylammonium BA, oleylammonium OA, or phenethylammonium PEA) 2D film and (CH3NH3, MA)PbI3 3D film at different temperatures and recording changes in the absorption and emission spectra. The migration of the methyl ammonium cation toward the 2D film slowly transforms the n = 1 layered phase into n = 2 and 3 layered phases. The 3D film, on the other hand, exhibits relatively small changes, as the inclusion of spacer cation has little effect on its phase. The apparent activation energy determined from the temperature-dependent cation migration kinetics (Ea = 29- 50 kJ mol-1) indicates alkyl ammonium cations such as butyl ammonium migrate more readily into the 3D layer than aromatic cations such as PEA. The ease of migration of spacer cations between physically paired films suggests that the varied composition at the interface should be considered while evaluating the effectiveness of the 2D/3D design strategy for improving the performance of perovskite solar cells. 2D perovskites transform to higher layer numbers n = 2 and n = 3 as a result of cation migration at the 2D/3D interface under thermal stress. This process has a dependence on the type of spacer cation used, with the process being faster for aliphatic spacers and slower for aromatic spacers. image