Universität zu Köln

Heshmati, Niusha ORCID: 0009-0000-4310-7439, Almandinger, Niklas, Fischer, Thomas ORCID: 0000-0002-8363-9613 and Mathur, Sanjay ORCID: 0000-0003-2765-2693 (2025). Improving the ecological index in the solution processing of hybrid perovskites. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 13 (34). pp. 28200-28212. Royal Society of Chemistry. ISSN 2050-7488

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Abstract

Lead halide perovskites are taking center stage among photoactive materials due to their highly tunable properties and potential applications in photovoltaics and light-emitting devices. Hybrid perovskites have demonstrated exceptionally high solar cell efficiencies, which have quickly approached those of silicon photovoltaics. However, their technological readiness is hindered by limited environmental stability, the use of toxic solvents such as N , N -dimethylformamide (DMF), and concerns over lead (Pb) toxicity. This research presents a new green solvent system that combines biodegradable dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene™) and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) as a sustainable alternative to the hazardous DMF. This eco-friendly solvent system reduces reliance on conventional aprotic solvents in perovskite solar cell processing. Additionally, ethyl acetate was employed as a green antisolvent in the one-step spin coating process to enhance crystallization, selected for its lower toxicity compared to other common solvents. Investigation of solvent–solute interactions by various characterization techniques led to an optimized solvent blend of Cy-THF : DMSO (70 : 30 vol%) with an added 7.5 vol% acetonitrile that resulted in a desirable viscosity and a stable perovskite precursor solution. Additives, including methylammonium chloride (MACl, CH 3 NH 3 Cl) and thiourea (SC(NH 2 ) 2 ), were incorporated to improve the crystallinity and surface coverage of the perovskite films. The resulting thin films of cubic perovskite exhibited enhanced film quality and superior stability under ambient conditions, with optoelectronic properties comparable to those of DMF-based perovskites, achieving 95% of the DMF-reference device's efficiency. These results demonstrate the promise of green solvent systems, derived from recyclable carbon, for sustainable perovskite processing.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Heshmati, Niusha UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4310-7439 UNSPECIFIED Almandinger, Niklas UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Fischer, Thomas UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8363-9613 UNSPECIFIED Mathur, Sanjay UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2765-2693 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-811561
Identification Number:	10.1039/D5TA01277E
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Volume:	13
Number:	34
Page Range:	pp. 28200-28212
Number of Pages:	13
Date:	14 September 2025
Publisher:	Royal Society of Chemistry
ISSN:	2050-7488
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences > Department of Chemistry > Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/81156