title: High-quality bulk hybrid perovskite single crystals within minutes by inverse temperature crystallization.
abstract: Single crystals of methylammonium lead trihalide perovskites (MAPbX3; MA = CH3NH3(+), X = Br(-) or I(-)) have shown remarkably low trap density and charge transport properties; however, growth of such high-quality semiconductors is a time-consuming process. Here we present a rapid crystal growth process to obtain MAPbX3 single crystals, an order of magnitude faster than previous reports. The process is based on our observation of the substantial decrease of MAPbX3 solubility, in certain solvents, at elevated temperatures. The crystals can be both size- and shape-controlled by manipulating the different crystallization parameters. Despite the rapidity of the method, the grown crystals exhibit transport properties and trap densities comparable to the highest quality MAPbX3 reported to date. The phenomenon of inverse or retrograde solubility and its correlated inverse temperature crystallization strategy present a major step forward for advancing the field on perovskite crystallization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Makhsud I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Saidaminov
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.|Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt.
authors.forename: Ahmed L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Abdelhady
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Banavoth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Murali
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alarousu
authors.affiliation: Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK.
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Burlakov
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dursun
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Lingfei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Imaging and Characterization Lab, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maculan
authors.affiliation: Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6436-8483
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goriely
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Omar F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Solar and Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Osman M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Bakr