Probe Decomposition of Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite in N and O by in Situ Infrared Spectroscopy.

Packaging methylammonium lead iodide perovskite (MAPbI)-based solar cells with N or dry air is a promising solution for its application in outdoor photovoltaics. However, the effect of N and O on the decomposition chemistry and kinetics of MAPbI is not yet well-understood. With in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements, we show that the effective activation energy for the degradation of MAPbI in N is ∼120 kJ/mol. The decomposition of MAPbI is greatly accelerated by exposure to O in the dark. As a result of the synergistic effect between O and a HeNe laser (633 nm), the degradation rate is further increased with photon flux. This synergistic effect reduces the effective activation energy of degradation of MAPbI to ∼50 kJ/mol. The solid decomposition products after annealing in N and O at 150 °C or below do not have absorbance between 650 and 4000 cm.