Ineffectiveness of Formamidine in Suppressing Ultralow Thermal Conductivity in Cubic Hybrid Perovskite FAPbI3

TL;DR

This study reveals that cubic FAPbI3 exhibits ultra-low thermal conductivity primarily due to inorganic units, with phonon transport dominated by particle-like propagation, challenging previous assumptions about organic cation influence.

Contribution

The paper introduces a comprehensive first-principles approach to understanding thermal transport in cubic FAPbI3, highlighting the dominant role of inorganic units and temperature-sensitive anharmonic effects.

Findings

Predicted thermal conductivity of ~0.63 W/mK at 300 K.

Thermal transport is dominated by phonon propagation, not organic cations.

Anharmonic force constants are highly temperature-dependent.

Abstract

Fundamentally understanding the lattice dynamics and microscopic mechanisms of thermal transport in cubic hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites remains elusive, primarily due to their strong anharmonicity and frequent phase transitions. In this work, we comprehensively investigate the thermal transport behavior in cubic hybrid perovskite FAPbI3, integrating first principles-based anharmonic lattice dynamics with a linearized Wigner transport formula. The Temperature Dependent Effective Potential (TDEP) technique allows us to stabilize the negative soft modes, primarily dominated by organic cations, at finite temperatures in cubic FAPbI3. We then predict an ultra-low thermal conductivity of ~0.63 Wm^(-1) K^(-1) in cubic FAPbI3 at 300 K, with a temperature dependence of T^(-0.740), suggesting a good crystalline nature of phonon transport. Notably, the ultra-low thermal conductivity in cubic FAPbI3 is primarily attributed to the [PbI3]1- units, challenging the conventional focus on organic FA+ cations. This shift in focus is due to the presence of Pb(s)-I(p) anti-bonding sates within the [PbI3]1- units. Furthermore, thermal transport in cubic FAPbI3 is predominantly governed by the particle-like phonon propagation channel across the entire temperature range of 300-500 K, a result of diminished suppression of low-frequency phonons by FA+ cations and large inter-branch spacings. Finally, our findings underscore that the anharmonic force constants are highly temperature-sensitive, leading to underestimations of thermal conductivity when relying on 0-K anharmonic force constants. Our study not only elucidates the microscopic mechanisms of thermal transport in cubic FAPbI3 but also provides a crucial framework for the discovery, design, and understanding of hybrid organic-inorganic compounds with ultra-low thermal conductivity.