Ternary Group 15 Iodidometalate Anions as Building Blocks for New Materials

• Applicant: Dr. Johanna Heine
• Subject Area: Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Material Synthesis
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 416118444

Lead halide perovskites have recently gained fame as versatile semiconductor materials used in an emergent class of solar cells and other optoelectronic applications. In this project, we aim to explore a related but previously overlooked class of metal halide compounds that could result in less toxic and more stable materials. Combining group 11 and group 15 iodidometalates, our first objective is to broaden the structural chemistry of salts containing M/E/I anions (M = Cu, Ag, Au; E = Sb, Bi) beyond the small number of compounds that are currently known. We will seek to understand when exactly these compounds form as opposed to those featuring simple binary M/I or E/I anions and which role the organic cations employed in the synthesis play. As our second objective, we will try to understand the interplay of structure and electronic properties in our compounds, elucidating the influence of factors like M/E/I ratios, anion dimensionality, building unit connectivity and secondary interactions. We will also explore the influence of doping and the formation of solid solutions. This should ultimately allow us to fine-tune the optical properties of our compounds. In our third objective we aim to develop candidate compounds for material applications based on criteria such as stability, ease of synthesis and promising photo-physical properties, process them into thin film or nanoparticles and test them in prototype devices such as LEDs or solar cells.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants