Progress on Perovskite Materials and Solar Cells with Mixed Cations and Halide Anions

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite materials (e.g., MAPbI(3), FAPbI(3), etc.; where MA = CH3NH3+, FA = CH(NH2)(2)(+)) have been studied intensively for photovoltaic applications. Major concerns for the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic technology to take off include lead toxicity, long-term stability, hysteresis, and optimal bandgap. Therefore, there is still need for further exploration of alternative candidates. Elemental composition engineering of MAPbI(3) and FAPbI(3) has been proposed to address the above concerns. Among the best six certified power conversion efficiencies reported by National Renewable Energy Laboratory on perovskite-based solar cells, five are based on mixed perovskites (e.g., MAPbI(1-x)Br(x) FA(3.83)MA(0.15)Pb(2.55)Br(0.43), Cs(0.1)FA(0.73)MA(0.15)PbI(2.49)Br(0.31)). In this paper, we review the recent progress on the synthesis and fundamental aspects of mixed cation and halide perovskites correlating with device performance, long-term stability, and hysteresis. In the outlook, we outline the future research directions based on the reported results as well as related topics that warrant further investigation.