Lead-free iron-doped Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 perovskite with tunable properties.

Perovskite based on cesium bismuth bromide offers a compelling, non-toxic alternative to lead-containing counterparts in optoelectronic applications. However, its widespread usage is hindered by its wide bandgap. This study investigates a significant bandgap tunability achieved by introducing Fe doping into the inorganic, lead-free, non-toxic, and stable Cs ₃ Bi ₂ Br ₉ perovskite at varying concentrations. The materials were synthesized using a facile method, with the aim of tuning the optoelectronic properties of the perovskite materials. Characterization through techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and UV-vis spectroscopy was conducted to elucidate the transformation mechanism of the doping materials. The substitution process results in a significant change in the bandgap energy, transforming from the pristine Cs ₃ Bi ₂ Br ₉ with a bandgap of 2.54 eV to 1.78 eV upon 70% Fe doping. The addition of 50% Fe in Cs ₃ Bi ₂ Br ₉ leads to the formation of the orthorhombic structure in Cs ₂ (Bi,Fe)Br ₅ perovskite, while complete Fe alloying at 100% results in the phase formation of CsFeBr ₄ perovskite. Our findings on regulation of bandgap energy and crystal structure through B site substitution hold significant promise for applications in optoelectronics.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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