Highly performant CH₃NH₃PbI₃ used in flexible micro and nanowires

Organometallic perovskite CH₃NH₃PbI₃ is extensively used in the field of photovoltaics in thin films, single crystals, nanoparticles, and micro and nanowires. However, the brittleness of this material poses the biggest challenge in its use in flexible opto-electronic devices.

To cross this hurdle, Ćirić et al. outline using the perovskite material in its highly flexible micro and nanowires shapes. The resulting measurements of the elastic response of the nanomaterials represent an important step towards applications of this high-performance perovskite in flexible opto-electronic devices.

The research uses the solution growth method to synthesize bulk crystals of CH₃NH₃PbI₃. The resulting nanowires are tested for strength and flexibility using the atomic force microscope tip. The nanowires formed by this method are found to be more flexible than their bulk counterparts.

“At the beginning, when CH₃NH₃PbI₃ was synthesized by Dieter Weber, nobody thought that it would one of the most efficient materials for photovoltaic solar panels.” said author Luka Ćirić.

The scientists proved by principle that flexible opto-electronic device can be made using CH₃NH₃PbI₃. The discovery of making highly anisotropic structures, such as nanowires, using cubic, isotropic material CH₃NH₃PbI₃ overcomes the previous limitations of built-in strains and defects in the produced nanowires. The method allows for better crystallinity and large-scale synthesis of the nanowires.

The authors are hoping to collaborate with experts in the engineering field to make a workable prototype of the opto-electronic device, taking their research from the theoretical into the real world.

Source: “Highly flexible CH₃NH₃PbI₃ micro- and nanowires,” by L. Ćirić, M. Fontenlos, V. Nussbaumer, M. Spina, R. Foschia, L. Rossi, M. Kollár, E. Horváth, and L. Forró, Applied Physics Letters (2021). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0055756 .