Structural and optical properties of semi-conductor organic–inorganic hybrid components ([N(CnH2n+1)4]2SnBr6 (n = 1;2)): Potential applications in solar cells, LEDs and photodetectors

Abstract

Owing to their distinct molecular architectures that alternately stack sheets of organic and inorganic constituents, hybrid materials represent an intriguing class of compositions. Within this highlighting, we have investigated the structural and the optical properties of two organic–inorganic hybrid compounds [N(C_nH_2n+1)₄]₂SnBr₆ (n = 1,2) and [N(CH₃)₄]₂SnBr₆ prepared by slow evaporation technique. A room-temperature X-ray powder diffraction was used to verify the materials’ purity. The Lebai refinement of the patterns confirms the pure phases of the materials. The (TMA)₂SnBr₆ ((TMA = Tetramethylammonium = N(CH₃)₄) material crystallizes with a cell parameter of a = 13.5621 Å in the cubic system (Fm3m space group). Whereas (TEA)₂SnBr₆ ((TEA = Tetraethylammonium = N(C₂H₅)₄) compound crystallizes with parameters a = b = 10.6897 Å and c = 42.5859 Å in the trigonal-centrosymmetric space group R-3c (167). The semiconductor nature is confirmed by an optical absorption experiment, with a band gap of around 2.79 eV and 2.74 eV for the (TMA)₂SnBr₆ and (TEA)₂SnBr_6, respectively. Such energy gap values, considerable visible light absorption, and other factors suggest that these semi-conducting materials are better suited for solar cells that use green and blue-green light. These organic–inorganic materials have garnered significant interest in solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and photodetectors because of their tunable band gap and straightforward manufacturing procedure.