Revealing the Crystallization Pathways of Mixed-Halide Low-Dimensional Perovskites: A First Step Toward Solar Cell Applications

Ruddlesden–Popper perovskites (RPPs) are promising materials for optoelectronic devices. While iodide-based RPPs are well-studied, the crystallization of mixed-halide RPPs remains less explored. Understanding the factors affecting their formation and crystallization are vital for optimizing morphology, phase purity, and orientation, which directly impact device performance. Here, we investigate the crystallization and properties of mixed-halide RPPs (PEA)₂FA_n−1Pb_n(Br_1/3I_2/3)_3n + 1 (PEA = C₆H₅(CH₂)₂NH₃⁺ and FA = CH(NH₂)₂⁺) (n = 1, 5, 10) using DMSO ((CH₃)₂SO) or NMP (OC₄H₆NCH₃) as cosolvents and MACl (MA = CH₃NH₃⁺) as an additive. For the first time, the presence of planar defects in RPPs is directly observed by in situ grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) and confirmed through the simulation of the patterns that matched the experimental. GIWAXS data also reveals that DMSO promotes higher crystallinity and vertical orientation, while MACl enhances crystal quality but increases halide segregation, shown here by nano X-ray fluorescence (nano-XRF) experiments. For low-n RPPs, orientation is crucial for solar cell efficiency, but its impact decreases with increasing n. Our findings provide insights into optimizing mixed-halide RPPs, guiding strategies to improve crystallization, phase control, and orientation for better performance not only in solar cells but also in other potential optoelectronic devices.