Scientists are always on the lookout for safer and more efficient materials to power the next generation of electronics.
For years, perovskites—crystal-like materials that can be tuned for solar cells, LEDs, and transistors—have shown remarkable potential.
Most of the progress so far has relied on lead-based perovskites, but lead’s toxicity and other drawbacks make it far from ideal. This has pushed researchers to explore tin-based perovskites as a cleaner alternative.
Tin-based versions, however, come with their own challenges. Tin tends to oxidize easily, which makes the material unstable and prone to defects.
These flaws reduce efficiency and shorten the lifetime of devices, limiting their practical use. Overcoming these weaknesses has been a major roadblock for scientists.
In a new study published in Advanced Functional Materials, researchers report a clever way to boost both the performance and stability of tin-based perovskites.
Their solution lies in adding organic molecules known as phthalocyanines—specifically two types called H₂Pc and SnPc. These porphyrin-like compounds are already famous for their strong stability and their ability to interact with metals.
By blending them into the perovskite precursor solution, the researchers found they could effectively protect tin from oxidizing and at the same time improve the quality of the thin films formed.
The results were impressive. Transistors made with these enhanced films showed much higher charge mobility, reaching values of 4.40 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹—far better than what is normally seen in tin-based devices.
The additives also encouraged the growth of larger crystal grains and reduced the number of defects, both of which are essential for smooth and efficient charge transport. Just as importantly, the treated devices stood up much better to environmental stress, making them more durable.
Beyond simple performance, these devices revealed another exciting ability: they could act as light-controlled memory units.
When exposed to short bursts of light—even flashes lasting just one-thousandth of a second—the transistors were able to “remember” their state.
This stable, nonvolatile memory behavior is especially promising for neuromorphic computing, a field where engineers aim to build electronics that mimic how the human brain processes and stores information.
“This work demonstrates how molecular engineering can unlock new functionalities in emerging materials,” said Professor Chu-Chen Chueh, the study’s lead author.
With advances like this, tin-based perovskites may soon move from lab experiments to real-world devices that are faster, more stable, and better for the environment.
