Although known for more than a century, organic-inorganic hybrid and related inorganic halide-based perovskites have received extraordinary attention recently, because of the unique physical properties of the lead(II)-based systems, which make them outstanding candidates for application in photovoltaic (PV) and related electronic devices. Despite the high levels of device performance, incorporation of the heavy metal lead, coupled with issues of device stability and electrical hysteresis pose challenges for commercializing these exciting technologies. This talk will explore beyond the current focus on three-dimensional (3-D) lead(II) halide perovskites (e.g., CH3NH3PbI3), to highlight the great chemical flexibility and outstanding potential (and challenges) of the broader 3-D and lower-dimensional perovskite family. As part of the discussion, the prospects for replacing lead with other metals, the importance of structural dimensionality for determining semiconducting character, along with the promise for both inorganic and organic structural components to play an active role in determining the overall hybrid semiconducting character, will be emphasized. Beyond structural flexibility, the talk will further discuss how chemical flexibility leads to an unusually large range of processing options for preparing high-performance perovskite films. Outstanding functionality combined with versatile/facile processing provide two pillars for future application and study of this materials family.
David Mitzi is the Simon Family Professor of Engineering at Duke University, with joint appointments to the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and the Department of Chemistry. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics from Princeton University in 1985 and his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University in 1990. Prior to joining the faculty at Duke in 2014, Dr. Mitzi spent 23 years at IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center, most recently serving as manager for the Photovoltaic Science and Technology Department. Dr. Mitzi’s current research interests focus on the search for and application of new electronic materials, including organic-inorganic hybrids and inorganic materials for photovoltaic, LED, and other energy-based applications.