Mechanical response of butylamine based Ruddlesden Popper organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites

Abstract

2D Ruddlesden Popper perovskites have been extensively studied for their exceptional optical and electronic characteristics while only a few studies have shed light on their mechanical properties. The existing literature mainly discusses the mechanical strength of single crystal perovskites, however a systematic study towards structure tunability of 2D perovskite thin films is still missing. In this study, we report the effect of number of inorganic layers `n' on elastic modulus of Butylammonium based 2D, quasi-2D perovskites and 3D perovskite using nanoindentation technique. The experimental results have also been substantiated using first principle density functional theory calculations. Understanding the mechanical behaviour of 2D Ruddlesden Popper perovskites thin films in comparison with conventional 3D perovskite offers intriguing insights into the atomic layer dependent properties and paves the path for next generation mechanically durable novel devices.