Probing Photoinduced Halide Segregation in CH<sub>3</sub>NH<sub>3</sub>Pb(Br<sub><i>x</i></sub>I<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>)<sub>3</sub> Perovskites via <i>in Situ</i> Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance Spectroscopy
Mixed-halide perovskites of formula MAPb(Br<sub><i>x</i></sub>I<sub>1-<i>x</i></sub>)<sub>3</sub>, where MA is methylammonium, are of great interest for optoelectronic applications (particularly high-efficiency solar cells) due to their finely tunable bandgap, which enables precise control over light absorption. However, their stability remains a critical challenge, notably due to reversible photoinduced halide segregation. Under continuous illumination, this process leads to the formation of Br- and I-rich domains, which lower device performance by introducing low-bandgap regions that trap charge carriers. Despite extensive efforts, the mechanism of photosegregation remains debated, partly due to the difficulty in characterizing these compositionally disordered systems, especially under illumination. Here, we report a systematic investigation across a series of MAPb(Br<sub><i>x</i></sub>I<sub>1-<i>x</i></sub>)<sub>3</sub> compositions using <sup>79/81</sup>Br and <sup>127</sup>I nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy. Furthermore, we present the first application of NQR under <i>in situ</i> illumination to directly probe photoinduced halide segregation, focusing on compositions with <i>x</i> = 0.9, 0.8, and 0.6. Our findings highlight the potential of NQR as a powerful, noninvasive technique for studying local environments under illumination. The results reveal composition-dependent light-induced segregation when comparing substantially different stoichiometries. In contrast, the <sup>81</sup>Br NQR spectra of MAPb(Br<sub>0.9</sub>I<sub>0.1</sub>)<sub>3</sub> and MAPb(Br<sub>0.8</sub>I<sub>0.2</sub>)<sub>3</sub> show the emergence of comparable local environments, with preferential formation of MAPbBr<sub>3</sub>-like domains.
Authors
- Marcello Costamagna
- Noemi Landi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5089-4535)
- Elisa Carignani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5848-9660)
- Silvia Borsacchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3696-0719)
- Marco Geppi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2422-8400)
- Marco Taddei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2805-6375)
- Andrea Scarperi
Institutions
- University of Pisa (IT)
- Institute for the Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds (IT)
- University of Bergen (NO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of the American Chemical Society
- Published
- 2025-09-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c10094
- Primary Topic
- Perovskite Materials and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca