Experimental and Theoretical Investigations on the Structural, Electronic, and Vibrational Properties of Cs2AgSbCl6 Double Perovskite

Despite the rapid development and enormous success of organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites (AB'X-3), such as CH3NH3PbI3 as absorbers for perovskite-based solar cells (PSCs), the commercial applications of photovoltaic techniques still face several challenges, such as decomposition when exposed to light and moisture, and lead toxicity. On the other hand, the double perovskites (A(2)B'BX-6) are derived from the AB'X-3 when half of the octahedrally coordinated B'-cations are partially replaced by the suitable B.cations. They are attracting attention due to a new design strategy to replace Pb2+ ions with the couple of a monovalent M+ ion and a trivalent M3+ ion, leading to a new family of quaternary double perovskites. In this way, we aim to synthesize and characterize Cs2AgSbCl6 powdered samples, designed for solar cell applications. The crystalline phase and morphological features are investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), neutron powder diffraction (NPD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in complement with UV-vis spectroscopy, showing a suitable band gap of 2.7 eV. The solution synthesis method proved to be efficient in obtaining polycrystalline-Cs2AgSbCl6 samples in a cubic ordered phase. DFT calculations also provided insights on the vibrational properties of Cs2AgSbCl6, corroborating the experimental data and elucidating the optical activity of Raman and infrared modes.

Automated summary

While organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites have seen rapid development in solar cell applications, challenges such as decomposition, lead toxicity, and moisture sensitivity still exist. Double perovskites, derived from the original hybrid perovskites, offer a promising alternative by replacing lead ions with a combination of monovalent and trivalent ions. The synthesis and characterization of Cs2AgSbCl6 samples for solar cell applications have shown promising results, with efficient crystal phase formation and suitable band gap properties.