Prof. Eline Hutter : Fine-Tuning Optical and Mechanical Properties in Halide Double Perovskites through Mechanochemical Synthesis
Abstract : Lead halide perovskites, known for their excellent optoelectronic properties, hold significant industrial promise across applications such as solar cells, photocatalysis, and radiation detection. However, their instability and toxicity remain critical challenges. As a promising alternative, halide double perovskites, that substitute lead with elements like silver and bismuth, offer greater stability and reduced toxicity.
Here, I will show how the optical, mechanical and toxicity characteristics of double perovskites can be fine-tuned by compositional engineering. By employing a solvent-free, mechanochemical synthesis method, we circumvent common issues such as poor precursor solubility and the formation of unwanted side phases. Using synchrotron radiation, we tracked the formation mechanisms during the mechanochemical synthesis of Cs2Ag[BiM]Br6 (M = Sb, In, or Fe), identifying new intermediate phases and gaining valuable insights into the reaction kinetics.
We find that mechanochemical synthesis is a successful approach to make compounds that were not accessible via solution-based synthesis routes, such as Cs2AgBi0.5In0.5Br6, and Cs2AgBi1-xFexBr6. Hence, this solvent-free approach enables tuning of the absorption onset across the entire visible spectrum of light. In addition, high-pressure synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments revealed that the mechanical properties of these materials varies significantly with chemical composition. Finally, the tunability of the conduction band minimum was found to correlate with the photocatalytic activity of these semiconductors.
The improved understanding of the mechanochemical formation of alloyed-AgBi double perovskites opens new pathways for designing materials with tailored optical and mechanical properties, advancing their potential in sustainable energy applications.
Bio : Eline Hutter is an assistant professor in the department of chemistry at Utrecht University. Before she joined Utrecht University in 2020, Hutter worked at Delft University of Technology and at Stanford University as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar. Hutter is internationally known for her studies on halide perovskites through innovative spectroscopic characterization techniques. More recently, she got interested in designing new compositions, using unconventional synthesis techniques and (in-situ) synchrotron techniques for characterization. Her overall goal is to make and understand new materials for light conversion applications, with a special focus on solar cells, and light-driven catalysis.
Here, I will show how the optical, mechanical and toxicity characteristics of double perovskites can be fine-tuned by compositional engineering. By employing a solvent-free, mechanochemical synthesis method, we circumvent common issues such as poor precursor solubility and the formation of unwanted side phases. Using synchrotron radiation, we tracked the formation mechanisms during the mechanochemical synthesis of Cs2Ag[BiM]Br6 (M = Sb, In, or Fe), identifying new intermediate phases and gaining valuable insights into the reaction kinetics.
We find that mechanochemical synthesis is a successful approach to make compounds that were not accessible via solution-based synthesis routes, such as Cs2AgBi0.5In0.5Br6, and Cs2AgBi1-xFexBr6. Hence, this solvent-free approach enables tuning of the absorption onset across the entire visible spectrum of light. In addition, high-pressure synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments revealed that the mechanical properties of these materials varies significantly with chemical composition. Finally, the tunability of the conduction band minimum was found to correlate with the photocatalytic activity of these semiconductors.
The improved understanding of the mechanochemical formation of alloyed-AgBi double perovskites opens new pathways for designing materials with tailored optical and mechanical properties, advancing their potential in sustainable energy applications.
Bio : Eline Hutter is an assistant professor in the department of chemistry at Utrecht University. Before she joined Utrecht University in 2020, Hutter worked at Delft University of Technology and at Stanford University as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar. Hutter is internationally known for her studies on halide perovskites through innovative spectroscopic characterization techniques. More recently, she got interested in designing new compositions, using unconventional synthesis techniques and (in-situ) synchrotron techniques for characterization. Her overall goal is to make and understand new materials for light conversion applications, with a special focus on solar cells, and light-driven catalysis.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering
Contact
- Ardemis Boghossian / Wendy Queen
[email protected]
[email protected]