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    Origins of high catalyst loading in copper(i)-catalysed Ullmann-Goldberg C-N coupling reactions
    (Cambridge : RSC, 2017) Sherborne, Grant J.; Adomeit, Sven; Menzel, Robert; Rabeah, Jabor; Brückner, Angelika; Fielding, Mark R.; Willans, Charlotte E.; Nguyen, Bao N.
    A mechanistic investigation of Ullmann-Goldberg reactions using soluble and partially soluble bases led to the identification of various pathways for catalyst deactivation through (i) product inhibition with amine products, (ii) by-product inhibition with inorganic halide salts, and (iii) ligand exchange by soluble carboxylate bases. The reactions using partially soluble inorganic bases showed variable induction periods, which are responsible for the reproducibility issues in these reactions. Surprisingly, more finely milled Cs2CO3 resulted in a longer induction period due to the higher concentration of the deprotonated amine/amide, leading to suppressed catalytic activity. These results have significant implications on future ligand development for the Ullmann-Goldberg reaction and on the solid form of the inorganic base as an important variable with mechanistic ramifications in many catalytic reactions.
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    Towards low-temperature processing of efficient γ-CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells
    (London [u.a.] : RSC, 2023) Zhang, Zongbao; Ji, Ran; Hofstetter, Yvonne J.; Deconinck, Marielle; Brunner, Julius; Li, Yanxiu; An, Qingzhi; Vaynzof, Yana
    Inorganic cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted enormous attention due to their excellent thermal stability and optical bandgap (∼1.73 eV), well-suited for tandem device applications. However, achieving high-performance photovoltaic devices processed at low temperatures is still challenging. Here we reported a new method for the fabrication of high-efficiency and stable γ-CsPbI3 PSCs at lower temperatures than was previously possible by introducing the long-chain organic cation salt ethane-1,2-diammonium iodide (EDAI2) and regulating the content of lead acetate (Pb(OAc)2) in the perovskite precursor solution. We find that EDAI2 acts as an intermediate that can promote the formation of γ-CsPbI3, while excess Pb(OAc)2 can further stabilize the γ-phase of CsPbI3 perovskite. Consequently, improved crystallinity and morphology and reduced carrier recombination are observed in the CsPbI3 films fabricated by the new method. By optimizing the hole transport layer of CsPbI3 inverted architecture solar cells, we demonstrate efficiencies of up to 16.6%, surpassing previous reports examining γ-CsPbI3 in inverted PSCs. Notably, the encapsulated solar cells maintain 97% of their initial efficiency at room temperature and under dim light for 25 days, demonstrating the synergistic effect of EDAI2 and Pb(OAc)2 in stabilizing γ-CsPbI3 PSCs.