The precursor of solution-processed perovskite thin films is one of the most central components for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. We first present the crucial colloidal chemistry visualization of the perovskite precursor solution based on analytical spectra and reveal that perovskite precursor solutions for solar cells are generally colloidal dispersions in a mother solution, with a colloidal size up to the mesoscale, rather than real solutions. The colloid is made of a soft coordination complex in the form of a lead polyhalide framework between organic and inorganic components and can be structurally tuned by the coordination degree, thereby primarily determining the basic film coverage and morphology of deposited thin films. By utilizing coordination engineering, particularly through employing additional methylammonium halide over the stoichiometric ratio for tuning the coordination degree and mode in the initial colloidal solution, along with a thermal leaching for the selective release of excess methylammonium halides, we achieved full and even coverage, the preferential orientation, and high purity of planar perovskite thin films. We have also identified that excess organic component can reduce the colloidal size of and tune the morphology of the coordination framework in relation to final perovskite grains and partial chlorine substitution can accelerate the crystalline nucleation process of perovskite. This work demonstrates the important fundamental chemistry of perovskite precursors and provides genuine guidelines for accurately controlling the high quality of hybrid perovskite thin films without any impurity, thereby delivering efficient planar perovskite solar cells with a power conversion efficiency as high as 17% without distinct hysteresis owing to the high quality of perovskite thin films.

Cost-effective electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are critical to energy conversion and storage processes. A novel strategy is used to synthesize a non-noble-metal-based electrocatalyst of the OER by finely combining layered FeNi double hydroxide that is catalytically active and electric conducting graphene sheets, taking advantage of the electrostatic attraction between the two positively charged nanosheets. The synergy between the catalytic activity of the double hydroxide and the enhanced electron transport arising from the graphene resulted in superior electrocatalytic properties of the FeNi-GO hybrids for the OER with overpotentials as low as 0.21 V, which was further reduced to 0.195 V after the reduction treatment. Moreover, the turnover frequency at the overpotential of 0.3 V has reached 1 s(-1), which is much higher than those previously reported for non-noble-metal-based electrocatalysts.