Initial Stages of Photodegradation of MAPbI(3) Perovskite: Accelerated Aging with Concentrated Sunlight

The initial stages of photo-degradation of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI(3)) thin films prior to any significant change in light absorption are studied in experiments with independent control of sample temperature and intensity of concentrated sunlight from 50 to 500 suns. Photo-stability of the MAPbI(3) film is revealed to be extremely sensitive to the sample temperature. Under the combined action of light and heat (either by concentrated sunlight or by external heating), a strong reduction of the film photoluminescence (PL) without changes in the perovskite light absorption can be observed during the initial stages of degradation. In contrast, illumination of perovskite films (with intensity up to 500 suns) without heating (using chopped concentrated sunlight) induces considerable PL enhancement while the optical absorption spectrum remains unchanged. With accurate temperature control, aging under concentrated sunlight results in similar instability trends as that under 1 sun.