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org/IECR Article

Synthesis and Characterization of High-Efficiency Halide Perovskite

Nanomaterials for Light-Absorbing Applications
Ahmed Waseem Faridi, Muhammad Imran, Ghulam Hasnain Tariq, Sana Ullah, Syed Farhan Noor,
Sabah Ansar, and Farooq Sher*

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ABSTRACT: Inorganic perovskite materials are possible candidates for conversion of solar
energy to electrical energy due to their high absorption coefficient. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs)
Downloaded via 196.127.149.251 on November 25, 2022 at 10:30:24 (UTC).

introduced a new type of device structure that has attention due to better efficiencies and interest
in PSCs that has been increasing in recent years. Halide perovskite materials such as CsPbIBr2
show remarkable optical and structural performance with their better physical properties.
Perovskite solar cells are a possible candidate to replace conventional silicon solar panels. In the
present study, CsPbIBr2 perovskite materials’ thin films were prepared for light-absorbing
application. Five thin films were deposited on the glass substrates by subsequent spin-coating of
CsI and PbBr2 solutions, subsequently annealed at different temperature values (as-deposited,
100, 150, 200 and 250 °C) to get CsPbIBr2 thin films with a better crystal structure. Structural
characterizations were made by using X-ray diffraction. CsPbIBr2 thin films were found to be
polycrystalline in nature. With increasing annealing temperature, the crystallinity was improved,
and the crystalline size was increased. Optical properties were studied by using transmission data,
and by increasing annealing temperature, a small variation in optical band gap energy was observed in the range of 1.70−1.83 eV.
The conductivity of CsPbIBr2 thin films was determined by a hot probe technique and was found to have little fluctuating response
toward p-type conductivity, which may be due to intrinsic defects or presence of CsI phase, but a stable intrinsic nature was
observed. The obtained physical properties of CsPbIBr2 thin films suggest them as a suitable candidate as a light-harvesting layer.
These thin films could be an especially good partner with Si or other lower band gap energy materials in tandem solar cells (TSC).
CsPbIBr2 material will harvest light having energy of ∼1.7 eV or higher, while a lower energy part of the solar spectrum will be
absorbed in the partner part of the TSC.

1. INTRODUCTION Perovskite is a word that refers to any substances that have a

Energy demand has increased due to population and industrial
growth, while conventional fossil fuel energy sources are
limited and also create environmental problems. Reliable
alternate energy sources are required to overcome the issues
associated with these fossil fuels. Solar energy has become a
promising alternate renewable energy candidate as its source is
unlimited and does not produce pollutants damaging to the
climate. Solar energy can be captured and utilized for different
applications with the help of solar cell devices. Different kinds
of solar cells are available including copper zinc tin sulfide
(CZTS),1,2 cadmium telluride (CdTe),3,4 dye-sensitized solar
cells (DSSCs),5,6 and perovskite solar cells,7 among other.
Inorganic perovskite solar cells got interested due to their
relative better stability efficiency.8 The type of material known
as “perovskite” is attributed to the structure of calcium titanate
(CaTiO3) has a molecular composition of type ABX3.
Perovskite materials have generated a lot of attention due to
their cubic layer octahedral perovskite structure and unusual
thermal, optical, and electromagnetic characteristics.
© XXXX The Authors. Published by
American Chemical Society
A Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
crystal structure similar to that of calcium titanate (CaTiO3) or
comparable to that of calcium titanate (CaTiO3). The
fundamental formula for the perovskite materials is (ABX3),
where B would be a cation of a metal and X would be a halide
anion (I−, Cl−, and Br−).9 Perovskite materials have a long
history dating back to 1839, when a German scientist called
Gustav Rose found a unique calcium titanate based mineral in
the Ural Mountains and termed it “perovskite” after Lev von
Perovski, a Russian mineralogist. In 1978, Weber’s group at the
University of Stuttgart in Germany created the first inorganic−
organic halide perovskite, substituting the cesium cations. In
2009, Miyasaka and his colleagues became the first to employ
perovskite-structured materials in solar cells, they utilized
Special Issue: Nanobiomaterials for Biosensing and
Biodegradation
Received: February 3, 2022
Revised: April 4, 2022
Accepted: April 11, 2022
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Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
CH3NH3PbI3 and CH3NH3PbBr3 as inorganic−organic hybrid
halide-based perovskites, to replace the dye component in dye-
sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). They achieved relatively low
power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 3.13 and 3.81%,
respectively.
Following this accomplishment, PSC research grew increas-
ingly popular in the field of photovoltaic (PV) research over
the next few years. PSC efficiency was eventually increased to
22.1% in early 2016.10 PSCs have attracted attention as a
promising photovoltaic technology showing high efficiency and
low manufacturing cost.11,12 However, management for waste
with toxic lead (Pb) has not developed yet.13 The PSCs
efficiency has improved from 14.1 to 25.2% in the last 6 years,
making it the third greatest single-junction efficiency ever
reported.6 In PSCs using CuInS2/carbon hole collector and
mesoporous TiO2 layers as an electron transport layer (ETL),
an efficiency of 16.1−16.3% was obtained.14 Initially, the
perovskite-based “dye” was not a stable “dye”. The perovskite
was proven to absorb light better than dye molecules (N719),
but the device was damaged after 10 min when oxidation
appeared in the liquid electrolyte. A solid-state hole-transport
material was added to prevent this degradation, and the
system’s efficiency was greatly boosted.15
These upgrades incorporated performance improvements
from thin-film PVs and DSSCs, as well as other research. In the
absence of (TiO2) support, solar cells were constructed
similarly to thin film PVs, with perovskite acting alone as a
light absorber. Planner PSCs were successfully created with a
1.8% efficiency.16 Although in another work, researchers
retained TiO2 the charge blocking layer after changing the
conditions of perovskite synthesis and increasing output to
11.4%. Mesoscopic and planar framework solar cells have
efficiencies of 20.8 and 21.6%, respectively.17 Charge creation
(formation of exciton by light absorption), charge transit,
recombination, and extraction are all working mechanisms18 in
these devices. Perovskite materials have a long charge diffusion
length, a high absorption coefficient and high charge mobility
and low exciton (e−−h+ pair) binding energy, making
perovskite materials an excellent candidate for use as an active
layer in solar cells.
Furthermore, the high solubility of the precursor materials
and the low cost of solution processing for the synthesis of
perovskite materials, the perovskite solar cells are more cost-
effective than silicon solar cells. Another preference is the
tunable band gap of perovskite materials, which is relatively
adjustable (e.g., MAPbxSn1−xBr3 single crystals were obtained
with a tunable band gap (2.18−1.77 eV).19 Also, perovskite
materials have a broad absorption coefficient of >104 cm−1,
comparable to other solar cell thin film materials like (CZTS)
and (CdTe). Perovskite materials have a unique benefit in that
they have a high tolerance for flaws and the flexibility to change
the material’s composition and physical properties suit for their
applications.20,21 Flexible perovskite solar cells (FPSCs) are the
most favorable for the commercialization option of this
technology because the FPSCs can be prepared by applying
a roll-to-roll printing procedure for mass production.22,23 This
technology has become promising for next-generation, high-
efficiency, low-cost photovoltaics for multijunction tandem cell
structures.24
Perovskite materials that are known as halide perovskite
materials have halogens (i.e., iodide (I−), chloride (Cl−), or
bromide (Br−)) as a constituent part of them. CsPbI3 and
CsPbI2Br are two extraordinary semiconductor materials that
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can be utilized in optoelectronic detectors like usable layers.25
There are optimum band gaps and limited exciton binding
energies of optoelectronic perovskite materials like CsPbIBr2.26
Perovskite materials containing halide group elements were
identified in the last two decades as among the most potential
material in photovoltaic and other optoelectronic devices. This
has contributed to significant developments in materials
science, but the word “perovskite” has also caused general
confusion and misuse. A perovskite that comprises heavier
halides, both entirely inorganic and hybrid inorganic−organic
halides, became much more interesting (Cl, Br, and I).27
Despite the increase in the PCEs of PSCs from 3.8 to 25.5%
over 10 years of research, however, the outdoor applications of
PSCs are still significantly limited by poor stability PSCs
devices28−30 and lead (Pb) toxicity.31 Perovskite thin films can
be deposited by different methods32 including ambient spray
coating,33 chemical vapor deposition,34 ambient deposition,35
solution processing,36 RF magnetron sputtering,37 one-step
solution deposition,38 blade coating,39,40 thermal evapora-
tion,41−43 dip coating,44 chemical bath deposition,45 and
electrodeposition.46
To the best of our knowledge, detailed studies are not
available on the improvement of physical properties of
CsPbIBr2 thin films by annealing also determination of
conductivity type is not available. In the present study,
inorganic halide perovskite thin films were prepared by one-
step solution deposition technique using a spin-coating
method. The deposited thin films were annealed at different
temperatures to optimize their structure because the structure
itself will determine all the other physical properties related to
their applications. Furthermore, these are characterized to
achieve optimum physical properties for applications as the
light-absorbing layer in solar cells. The obtained physical
properties of CsPbIBr2 thin films suggest them a suitable
candidate as a light-harvesting layer for future solar cell
applications.
2. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION
2.1. Materials. Cesium iodide (CsI) and lead bromide
(PbBr2) as primary precursors, as well as dimethyl sulfoxide
(DMSO), isopropanol (IPA), acetone, and distilled water as
solvent and cleaning solutions, were used to synthesize
CsPbIBr2 thin films. All chemicals were purchased from
Sigma Company. Microscopic glass slides were used as
substrates.
2.2. Substrate Cleaning. Substrate cleaning is an
important part of an experiment before thin film deposition.
A well-cleaned contaminations free substrate is necessary not
only for good adhesion but also for contaminations’ free
deposited thin films. The glass substrates were cleaned with a
detergent for 5 min, and after this substrate is washed with
distilled water. Next, the glass substrate was put in IPA and
acetone for 5−10 min, respectively, and then dried at 60 °C.
All cleaned substrates were kept in IPA before using for
deposition.
2.3. Deposition of CsPbIBr2 Thin Films. Traditional one-
step processing via a spin-coating method38 was adopted for
CsPbIBr2 thin films on cleaned glass substrates. Precursor
solution was prepared by taking CsI (600 mg), PbBr2 (800
mg), and 2 mL of DMSO solvent. First, PbBr2 was dissolved in
DMSO (2 mL) until PbBr2 was completely dissolved in the
solvent, then this solution was placed on a hot plate and stirred
at 70 °C for 30 min to prepare a uniform solution. Then, 600
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mg of CsI was added to prepare the solution of CsPbIBr2, and
stirring was continued at 70 °C for 30 min. When the
precursor solution was obtained, the CsPbIBr2 thin film was
deposited on a clean glass substrate by placing the substrate on
a spin-coater and setting the program at 6000 rpm for 15 s.
Then the prepared solution of CsPbIBr2 was placed on the
glass substrate by dropper, and the spin-coater was run at 6000
rpm for 15 s.
2.4. Annealing of CsPbIBr2 Thin Films. The deposited
thin films were allowed to dry for 5 min at 60 °C in the oven.
Furthermore, these deposited thin films were annealed at
different temperatures (100, 150, 200, and 250 °C) to improve
the structure of CsPbIBr2 thin films, one sample was left as
deposited (i.e., at room temperature (RT)). Finally, these
annealed CsPbIBr2 thin films were kept in an airtight box for
characterization. The experimental procedure is shown in
Figure 1, and pictures of the prepared CsIPbBr2 thin films
annealed at different annealed temperatures are shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 1. Experimental work flowchart for the preparation of
precursor solution and deposition of CsPbIBr2 thin films.
Figure 2. CsPbIBr2 thin films prepared at different annealing temperatures.
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2.5. Characterization. The thickness of prepared
CsPbIBr2 thin films was estimated with the help of the
gravimetric weight different method45,46 by adopting the
following steps: (1) measured the mass (m1) blank substrate
i.e., before deposition, (2) measured the mass (m2) after
deposition of the CsPbIBr2 thin film on the substrate, and (3)
calculated the mass difference (m = m2 − m1), which denotes
the mass of deposited thin film on the substrate. Then the
estimated thickness of thin films was calculated according to
the equation t = m/(ρ × A),46 where m is the mass of thin film
deposited on the substrate, A is the area of the deposited thin
film in cm2, ρ is the average density of the CsPbIBr2 = 4.44 g/
cm3, and t is the thin film thickness. The calculated thickness
was about 450 nm of all deposited thin films.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Characterizations to find the structural parameters (i.e.,
crystalline nature, crystallite size, and microstrains) of
CsPbIBr2 thin films were done by using X-ray diffraction
(XRD) with Cu Kα X-ray radiations (λ = 1.5406 Å) in the
diffraction angle (2θ) scan range 20−60°. Optical properties
(i.e., absorption coefficient and band gap energy) were
calculated from transmission data acquired by UV−vis
spectroscopy in the wavelength range of 250−1000 nm. The
conductivity type of prepared CsPbIBr2 thin films was
identified by applying a hot-probe (two-probe) technique.
These characterizations were made within 3 weeks after the
preparation of CsPbIBr2 thin films.
3.1. Structural Analysis. XRD is a frequently used
technique for structural characterization and to identify the
crystalline nature of prepared samples. XRD spectra obtained
for all samples are shown in Figure 3. These spectra showed
that the CsPbIBr2 thin films deposited on glass substrates are
polycrystalline in nature. The diffraction peaks of CsPbIBr2
thin films are observed at the diffraction angles (2θ) 23.10,
24.36, 26.10, 30.91, 33.14, and 39.50° belonging to crystallo-
graphic planes’ orientations (121), (112), (110), (200), (210),
and (110), respectively; while peaks at 28.16 and 29.17° could
be assigned to planes (110) CsI, and (220) PbI 2 ,
respectively.29,30 Furthermore, these XRD spectra revealed
that by increasing the annealing temperature the crystallinity of
CsPbIBr2 thin film is improved. From the spectra data,
crystallite size D (nm) was calculated by using a well-known
Scherrer formula47 as given in eq 1.
D = kλ /β cos θ (1)
where D, λ, θ, β, and k are the crystalline size, wavelength,
angle of diffraction, full width half-maximum (fwhm), and
Scherrer constant (k = 0.9), respectively. Microstrain was
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Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Figure 3. XRD spectra of CsPbIBr2 thin films prepared at different
annealing temperatures.
calculated by using the following eq 2.48 Dislocation density σ
(lines per meter square) was calculated by using eq 3.48
ε = (β cos θ )/4
σ = 1/D2
where D is the crystallite size. The obtained crystalline size,
microstrain, dislocation density, and d-spacing are presented in
Table 1. Initially, the crystalline size of the first sample is about
27.35 nm which is for the sample left as prepared and without
annealing. After that crystalline size is increased with an
increase in the annealing temperature, but at 200 °C annealing
temperature, the crystalline size was decreased by increasing
the annealing temperature which might be due to recrystalliza-
tion. The variation of crystallite at 200 and 250 °C may be
connected to the growth of CsPbIBr2 at different orientations.
However, microstrain and dislocation density were also found
to be annealing-temperature-dependent; the obtained values
are presented in Table 1 and shown in Figure 4, which
predicted that with the growth of crystallite size both
microstrain and dislocation density were smaller Interplanar
spacing (d) was found by using the well-known Bragg’s law,
and obtained values are given in Table 1. The trend depending
on annealing temperature is shown in Figure 5. The interplanar
spacing is initially decreased, but on higher annealing
temperature, it is increased which showed the structural
dependence of thin films on the annealing temperature. This
variation in interplanar spacing value is due to crystallite size,
as when crystallite size is larger the interplanar spacing is
smaller which may be due to stronger interatomic bonding.49,50
Table 1. XRD Structural Parameters of CsPbIBr2 Thin Films Annealed at Different Temperatures
sample fwhm (2θ) radian crystallite size (nm) dislocation density (δ) × 1015 (linens/m2)
CsPbIBr2-1 0.005234 27
CsPbIBr2-2 0.004500 32
CsPbIBr2-3 0.002326 62
CsPbIBr2-4 0.002616 55
CsPbIBr2-5 0.003101 46
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3.2. Optical Properties. Optical properties were studied
by obtaining the transmission spectra between 250 and 1000
nm by using UV−vis double beam spectrophotometer. The
obtained transmission spectra for all CsPbIBr2 prepared thin
films are shown in Figure 6, all samples showed a transmission
of lower than 40% in the visible region. The absorption
coefficient of prepared CsPbIBr2 thin films was found from
obtained transmission data by using the relation,51 given in eq
4. The extinction coefficient k of CsPbIBr2 thin films was
Ä É
1 ÅÅ 1 ÑÑ
calculated from eq 5.52
α = lnÅÅÅÅ ÑÑÑÑ
t ÅÇ T ÑÖ (4)
k = αλ /4π (5)
where t is thickness of thin films and T is percent transmission.
Obtained values of absorption coefficient were used to find the
band gap energy. The study revealed that the absorption edge
is shifted at higher values of incident light energies (i.e., a
blueshift is observed). Generally, the blueshift in thin film
materials may be associated with the Burstein−Moss effect.53
The dependence of absorption coefficient and extinction
coefficient on annealing temperature is plotted in Figures 7a,b,
respectively, which show the dependence of absorption and
extinction coefficients on wavelength λ of incident light. The
observed variations in the extinction coefficient for the higher
energies may be due to the band-to-band transition of charge
(2) carriers.54 However, for lower energies of the incident light, k
values are observed comparatively smaller that allowing the
(3)
incident light to pass through the thin films several times.
Therefore, in the transmission region, interference fringes
are produced, as shown in Figure 6. Moreover, Figure 7a shows
that all prepared samples are capable of efficiently absorbing
the incident light in UV−visible region which is well in
agreement with findings in literature for CsPbIBr2 thin films,55
and Figure 7a also shows that the samples annealed at higher
annealing temperatures have higher absorption. Figure 7b
demonstrates the variation in extinction coefficient k due to the
postdeposition annealing temperatures of CsPbIBr2 thin films
and depicted that the value of extinction coefficient k for these
thin films became higher with increasing the annealing
temperature. For an incident light wavelength of λ = 350
nm, the absorption and extinction coefficients are higher, while
these coefficients decrease as λ increases and gradually
diminishes. The optical density (OD) of CsPbIBr2 thin films
was also calculated, which is the measure of transmittance of an
optical medium at a specific wavelength that was calculated
from the obtained transmission data with the help of relation
given in eq 6.56
1
OD = log10
T (6)
where T is the transmission. The dependence of OD on energy
of incident light is shown in Figure 8, which illustrates the
microstrains (ε) × 103 interplanar spacing (d) (nm)
1.337 1.267 0.308
0.967 1.078 0.310
0.263 0.562 0.296
0.334 0.633 0.309
0.471 0.752 0.317
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Figure 4. Dependence on structural parameters (a) β, (b) D, (c) δ, and (d) ε of CsPbIBr2 thin films prepared at different annealing temperatures.

Figure 5. Dependence of interplanar spacing of CsPbIBr2 thin films Figure 6. Transmission spectra of CsPbIBr2 thin films annealed at
prepared at different annealing temperatures. different temperatures.

variation in optical density with wavelength λ of incident light. spectrum. Mixing/interchanging B cations (Sn, Pb, and Ge)
The OD shows the same dependence as that of the absorption or halogens (X = Br, I, and Cl) may adjust the band gap of
coefficient, which indicates the increase in absorption ability of halide perovskite from 1.1 to 3.7 eV.57 Halide perovskites are
CsPbIBr2 thin films for incident light. semiconductors with a direct band gap and strong absorption
3.3. Determination of Band Gap Energy (Eg). Halide edges. Figure 7a reveals that by changing the annealing
perovskite semiconductors have an optimum band gap to temperature, there is a slight change in the absorption
harvest the maximum part of the incident solar energy coefficient. It measures how much light is absorbed by the
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Figure 7. Dependence effect. (a) Absorption coefficient. (b)
Extinction coefficient of CsPbIBr2 thin films prepared at different
annealing temperatures.
Figure 8. Annealing temperature dependence of optical density for
CsPbIBr2 thin films.
material at a specific wavelength of the incident light, which
depends on the energy gap present between the valence and
conduction bands of CsPbIBr2. The band gap energy (Eg) of
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CsPbIBr2 thin films was calculated with the help of Tauc
relation58 (eq 7).
αhν = B(hν − Eg )n (7)
where α, h, ν, and n are the absorption coefficient, Plank’s
constant, the frequency of the incident light, and a constant
number, respectively. For a direct transition of electron, (n =
1/2) or (αhν)2 = B(hν − Eg), which results in a linear relation
between (αhν)2 and light energy (hν). In the present work,
plots of (αhν)2 versus the incident light energy (hν) were
plotted as seen in Figure 9. All these plots have a linear
Figure 9. Plots of (αhν)2 against hν of CsPbIBr2 thin films annealed
at different temperatures.
behavior for high energy incident light. This indicated that the
Tauc relation holds good for CsPbIBr2 thin films if n = 1/2.
This observation confirmed the direct transition of electrons
for these CsPbIBr2 thin films prepared at different annealing
temperatures. The value of the band gap energy (Eg) was
found by extrapolating the linear part of the absorption plot
(αhν)2 and its intercept to the x-axis (i.e., hν-axis), where the
absorption coefficient (α = 0) is shown in Figure 10. A
blueshift is observed in the absorption edge that is due to an
increase in band gap energy with increasing annealing
temperature.
The obtained values of the band gap range from 1.70 to 1.83
eV for CsPbIBr2 thin films annealed at (as-deposited, 100, 150,
200 and 250 °C) respectively that could be ascribed annealing
induced structural transformations in the deposited CsPbIBr2
thin films. These obtained values of band gap energy are given
in Table 2. The variation in band gap energy values for
different annealing temperatures is plotted in Figure 11; it
shows that with increasing annealing temperature the band gap
energy is increased, which could be attributed to the variation
in structural properties of prepared thin films. The obtained
values of band gap energy are comparable with the literature.59
These findings are also inconsistent with the previously
reported value (2.05 eV) for CsPbIBr2 thin films.60
3.4. Conductivity Type Determination. The conductiv-
ity type of semiconductor can be checked with different
methods such as rectification, Hall effect, and thermal
electromotive force (emf). The conductivity type of CsPbIBr2
thin films we checked by using a thermal emf method (i.e., the
hot-probe method).61,62 Two probes were placed on the
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Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Figure 10. Linear part of plots near absorption edge extrapolated to
energy axis for CsPbIBr2 thin films.
Table 2. Band Gap Energy of CsPbIBr2 Thin Films
Prepared at Different Annealing Temperatures
sample annealing temperature (°C) band gap energy Eg (eV)
1 RT 1.70
2 100 1.72
3 150 1.77
4 200 1.82
5 250 1.83
Figure 11. Variation in band gap energy values of CsPbIBr2 thin films
with annealing temperature.
surface of the prepared CsPbIBr2 thin films. One probe was
heated, while the second probe was kept cold. Before these
hot-probe measurements were calibrated with n-type standard
Si wafer, the CsPbIBr2 thin films did not show any prominent
response during applying heat to the probe assigned for
heating. There was a little fluctuation opposite to the reference
n-type wafer but not a stable reading that we could note and
assign the p-type conductivity. This poor fluctuating response
toward p-type nature may be due to intrinsic defects or
presence of CsI phase. Overall, it was confirmed that the
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intrinsic nature of prepared samples is inconsistent with the
basic nature of perovskite materials.
4. CONCLUSION
The present study is focused on the preparation of CsPbIBr2
thin films for light-absorbing layer applications in perovskite
solar cells. Precursor solutions of CsI and PbBr2 were used, and
CsPbIBr2 thin films were successfully deposited on glass
substrates by one-step spin coating method. We carried out the
studies of annealing effects on physical properties and the
prepared CsPbIBr2 thin films were annealed at different
temperatures 100, 150, 200, and 250 °C keeping one sample
unannealed for reference. Obtained XRD peaks revealed that
the prepared thin films composed of CsPbIBr2 perovskite
material accompanying some peaks related to CsI and PbI2
phases. The Scherrer formula determines the crystalline size
(D), which showed an increase (27 and 62 nm) with annealing
temperatures of 100 and 150 °C, but then some decrease of 55
and 46 nm, respectively, is observed on further increase in
annealing temperature up to 200 and 250 °C, respectively.
Overall, crystallinity is improved. The optical transmission
graphs showed that most of the light absorption in CsPbIBr2
thin films occurs in the visible region of the solar spectrum,
which is optimum for a solar cell to absorb the most intense
part of the solar spectrum. On increasing the annealing
temperature, a small blueshift is observed in the absorption
edge, and the band gap energy Eg of CsPbIBr2 thin films is
shifted from 1.70 to 1.83 eV, which enables them to absorb
more parts of the solar spectrum. The conductivity type of
these thin films was determined by using a hot-probe method,
which showed a weaker fluctuating response toward a p-type
nature which may be due to intrinsic defects or the presence of
CsI phase; overall, the intrinsic nature of the prepared samples
was determined. The obtained physical properties of CsPbIBr2
thin films are favorable for their application as light-absorbing
layers in photovoltaic applications. However, some more
advanced studies are required such as stability of CsPbIBr2 thin
films in an open environment and long exposure to sunlight. In
the future, preparation parameters will be modified for phase
stability of CsPbIBr2 thin films, and efforts should be focused
to improve thin film’s quality to avoid the growth of any
additional phase and energy loss of incident light.
■ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
Farooq Sher − Department of Engineering, School of Science
and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham
NG11 8NS, United Kingdom; orcid.org/0000-0003-
2890-5912; Phone: +44 (0) 115 84 86679;
Email: Farooq.Sher@ntu.ac.uk
Authors
Ahmed Waseem Faridi − Department of Physics, Khwaja
Fareed University of Engineering and Information
Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan
Muhammad Imran − Department of Physics, Khwaja Fareed
University of Engineering and Information Technology,
Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan
Ghulam Hasnain Tariq − Department of Physics, Khwaja
Fareed University of Engineering and Information
Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Sana Ullah − Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khwaja
Fareed University of Engineering and Information
Technology, Rahim Yar Khan 64200, Pakistan
Syed Farhan Noor − Center of Excellence in Solid State
Physics, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Sabah Ansar − Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences,
College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University,
Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Complete contact information is available at:
https://pubs.acs.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.2c00416
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
■
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful for the financial support from the
Higher Education Commission Pakistan (HEC) under “Na-
tional Research Program for Universities (NRPU)” Project No.
10304/Punjab/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2017 and the Researchers
Supporting Project number (RSP-2021/169), King Saud
University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, HEC is
gratefully acknowledged for this support and for promoting
the research environment by facilitating relevant chemicals and
equipment. The authors are also thankful to Dr. Khalid
Mahmood GCU Faisalabad and Dr. Niaz Ahmed Niaz BZU
Multan for providing some characterization facilities.
■
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