Stability and Degradation in Hybrid Perovskites: Is the Glass Half-Empty or Half-Full?

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b00120
• Publication Date: 2018-05-15T20:57:59Z
• Authors: Ioannis Deretzis; Emanuele Smecca; Giovanni Mannino; Antonino La Magna; Tsutomu Miyasaka; Alessandra Alberti
• Keywords: methylammonium lead iodide; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology; perovskite solar cells; 7. Clean energy; degradation

Methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) is an extensively used perovskite material with a remarkable potential for solar energy conversion. Despite its high photovoltaic efficiency, the material suffers from fast degradation when aging in atmospheric conditions and/or under sunlight. Here we review the principal degradation mechanisms of CH3NH3PbI3, focusing on the thermodynamic, environmental and polymorphic parameters that impact the stability of the material. A critical analysis of the available data indicates that degradation under ambient conditions is a defect-generation process that is highly localized on surfaces and interfaces, while it is further enhanced above the tetragonal-cubic transition at ∼54 °C. Within this context, we discuss the conservative role of N2 and propose strategies for the emergence of industrially viable hybrid photovoltaics.