Influence of the organic cation disorder on photoconductivity in ethylenediammonium lead iodide, NH3CH2CH2NH3PbI4

TL;DR

This study investigates how disorder in the organic cation within ethylenediammonium lead iodide affects its photoconductivity, revealing that increased disorder enhances photoconductive properties, which could benefit optoelectronic device design.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between organic cation disorder and photoconductivity in lead iodide perovskites, supported by structural and electrical measurements.

Findings

Disorder in organic cation correlates with increased photoconductivity.

Thermally treated crystals show partial disorder compared to pristine crystals.

Potential application in interface engineering for optoelectronic devices.

Abstract

We report the synthesis and crystal structure of an organic inorganic compound, ethylenediammonium lead iodide, NH3CH2CH2NH3PbI4. Synchrotron based single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments revealed that the pristine and thermally treated crystals differ in the organic cation behaviour, which is characterized by a partial disorder in the thermally treated crystal. Based on current voltage measurements, increased disorder of the organic cation is associated with enhanced photoconductivity. This compound could be a potential candidate for interface engineering in lead halide perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.