The term perovskite refers to a specific crystal structure commonly found in various materials. Perovskite structures have a cubic arrangement of oxygen ions, forming a framework within which other cations (positively charged ions) are located. This crystal structure was named after the mineral perovskite, which has the chemical formula CaTiO3 and was first discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia.
The general formula for the perovskite structure is ABX3, where:
A represents a larger cation, typically a rare earth or alkaline earth metal; B represents a smaller transition metal cation; and X represents an anion, typically oxygen.
Perovskite structures can exhibit a variety of properties, including ferroelectricity, superconductivity, and other interesting electronic and optical behaviors. In recent years, there has been significant interest and research focus on a specific class of materials known as perovskite solar cells. These solar cells use a perovskite-structured material as the light-absorbing layer, and they have shown great promise in photovoltaic applications due to their low-cost fabrication and high efficiency.
In the context of perovskite solar cells, the term perovskite is commonly used to refer specifically to a type of hybrid organic-inorganic compound with the general formula ABX3, where A is an organic cation (e.g., methylammonium or formamidinium), B is a metal cation, and X is a halide anion (e.g., iodide or bromide). These perovskite materials have demonstrated excellent light-absorption properties and have rapidly advanced as a promising technology in the field of photovoltaics.