Layered perovskite materials: Key solutions for highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Metal halide perovskites having three-dimensional crystal structures are being applied successfully in various optoelectronic applications. To address their most challenging issues - instability and toxicity - without losing efficiency, lower-dimensional perovskites appear to be promising alternatives. Recently, two-dimensional (2D) perovskite solar cells have been developed exhibiting excellent photostability and moisture-stability, together with moderate device efficiency. This review summarizes the photophysical properties and operating mechanisms of 2D perovskites as well as recent advances in their applications in solar cell devices. Also presented is an agenda for the next-stage development of stable perovskite materials for solar cell applications, highlighting the issues of stability and toxicity that require further study to ensure commercialization.