Achieving vertical orientation films with superior environmental stability in quasi-2D lead iodide perovskites

The incorporation of a spacer cation to improve the stability of lead halide perovskites entails a trade-off, notably compromising film quality and device performance, particularly in quais-2D variants employing a higher proportion of hydrophobic, larger spacer cations. Addressing this challenge in quasi-2D perovskite-based devices requires enhancement in film morphology, crystallinity, and vertical orientation to optimize charge transport. Herein, we present a simple one step spin coating synthesis approach for producing PEA₂MA_n-1Pb_nI_3n+1 (n = 5–2) thin films from a single precursor solution. Notably, our method operates at room temperature without the need of usually toxic anti-solvent or specialized additives, resulting in high quality crystalline films that are vertically oriented and smooth. We systematically investigate the impact of annealing processes on crystal structure, including gradient annealing (GA) as well as thermal annealing at 100℃ for durations of 10 and 15 minutes. Our findings indicate that the films with n = 4 exhibits superior crystallinity and vertical crystallographic orientation, alongside reduced roughness, and minimal contamination of the lower n mixtures. Gradient annealing notably enhances the crystallinity of n = 3 films. While the surface of all the films appears smooth with flake-like structure, the n = 2 sample notably exhibits pitting.