High-Throughput Screening of Antisolvents for the Deposition of High-Quality Perovskite Thin Films

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2020 Jun 10;12(23):26026-26032. doi: 10.1021/acsami.0c06110. Epub 2020 May 27.

Abstract

One-step solution deposition of high-quality perovskite thin films relies heavily on a small number of antisolvents. Here, we design a simple minimum volume colorimetric solution assay to screen over 100 different solvents. We correctly identify 14 previously reported antisolvents and predict 20 novel candidates. We then refine the assay through analysis of screening results, available solvent properties, and qualitative evaluation of films cast using 50 candidates. Using the refined findings, we successfully demonstrated 15 different antisolvents for characterization and evaluation in inverted devices, including six previously unreported candidates. All candidates produced power conversion efficiencies comparable to chlorobenzene controls without any additional optimization. This work presents the largest scope of antisolvents reported, can be easily adapted to other perovskites, and opens the door to selecting antisolvents based on a wide range of desirable properties including efficiency, usability, safety, and industrial viability.

Keywords: antisolvents; high-throughput; perovskites; processing; thin films.