: Scalable processing of lead-free perovskite-inspired absorbers is often constrained by a fundamental trade-off: the structural reconstruction needed to improve electronic dimensionality can simultaneously introduce anisotropic textures that hinder vertical charge extraction. Here we show that this trade-off can be overcome in vacancy-ordered antimony halides by coupling ultrasonic spray deposition with solvent- and halide-mediated crystallization control. Using Cs3Sb2I9-xClx as a model system, we developed an ambient-air deposition process followed by annealing under an N2/SbI3 atmosphere route based on an amide-free 2-methoxyethanol/butanol solvent mixture that yields compact, pinhole-free films without high-boiling amide solvents. Chloride incorporation directs annealing-induced reconstruction from a zero-dimensional dimeric phase to a layered polymorph, while grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering reveals that this transformation occurs without generating a strongly detrimental crystallographic texture. Transient absorption spectroscopy further shows suppressed self-trapping and longer-lived band-edge carriers after dimensional reconstruction. As a result, the layered absorber retains an effective out-of-plane transport component and enables indoor photovoltaic (iPV) efficiencies up to 6.9% at 1000 lux (6500 K). Our results identify a general route by which scalable spray processing can be used not only to deposit lead-free absorbers, but also to engineer phase evolution and transport-relevant texture for efficient vertical optoelectronic operation.

Scalable Spray Processing Resolves the Dimensionality–Transport Trade‐off in Lead‐Free Indoor Photovoltaics / Lamberti, F., Elrashedy, R., Sarkar, A., Righetto, M., Bhatia, R., Ostellari, P., Dengo, N., Ruggeri, M., Verduci, R., Basagni, A., Scian, C., Samantaray, M.R., Chakraborty, A., Skafi, Z., Brown, T.M., Liu, G., He, J., He, Z., D'Angelo, G., Pescetelli, S., et al.. - In: SMALL METHODS. - ISSN 2366-9608. - (2026). [10.1002/smtd.71072]

Scalable Spray Processing Resolves the Dimensionality–Transport Trade‐off in Lead‐Free Indoor Photovoltaics

Elrashedy, Remah;Ostellari, Pietro;Gatti, Teresa;
2026

Abstract

: Scalable processing of lead-free perovskite-inspired absorbers is often constrained by a fundamental trade-off: the structural reconstruction needed to improve electronic dimensionality can simultaneously introduce anisotropic textures that hinder vertical charge extraction. Here we show that this trade-off can be overcome in vacancy-ordered antimony halides by coupling ultrasonic spray deposition with solvent- and halide-mediated crystallization control. Using Cs3Sb2I9-xClx as a model system, we developed an ambient-air deposition process followed by annealing under an N2/SbI3 atmosphere route based on an amide-free 2-methoxyethanol/butanol solvent mixture that yields compact, pinhole-free films without high-boiling amide solvents. Chloride incorporation directs annealing-induced reconstruction from a zero-dimensional dimeric phase to a layered polymorph, while grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering reveals that this transformation occurs without generating a strongly detrimental crystallographic texture. Transient absorption spectroscopy further shows suppressed self-trapping and longer-lived band-edge carriers after dimensional reconstruction. As a result, the layered absorber retains an effective out-of-plane transport component and enables indoor photovoltaic (iPV) efficiencies up to 6.9% at 1000 lux (6500 K). Our results identify a general route by which scalable spray processing can be used not only to deposit lead-free absorbers, but also to engineer phase evolution and transport-relevant texture for efficient vertical optoelectronic operation.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11583/3016311
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo