We report the vibrational and optical properties of the 'defect' perovskites Cs 2 SnX 6 (X = Cl, Br, I) as well as their use as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) in solar cells. All three air-stable compounds were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement. Far-IR reflectance, Raman, and UV−vis spectroscopy as well as electronic band structure calculations show that the compounds are direct band gap semiconductors with a pronounced effect of the halogen atom on the size of the energy gap and the vibrational frequencies. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed that the morphology of the perovskite films deposited from N,N-dimethylformamide solutions on TiO 2 substrates also strongly depends on the chemical composition of the materials. The Cs 2 SnX 6 perovskites were introduced as hole-transporting materials in dye-sensitized solar cells, based on mesoporous titania electrodes sensitized with various organic and metal−organic dyes. The solar cells based on Cs 2 SnI 6 HTM and the Z907 dye performed best with a maximum power conversion efficiency of 4.23% at 1 sun illumination. The higher performance of Cs 2 SnI 6 is attributed to efficient charge transport in the bulk material and hole extraction at the perovskite-Pt interface, as evidenced by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Cobalt(II) complexes with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug mefenamic acid in the presence or absence of nitrogen donor heterocyclic ligands (2,2'-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline or pyridine) have been synthesized and characterized with physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. The experimental data suggest that mefenamic acid acts as deprotonated monodentate ligand coordinated to Co(II) ion through a carboxylato oxygen. The crystal structures of tetrakis(methanol)bis-(mefenamato)cobalt(II), 1 and (2,2'-bipyridine)bis(methanol)bis(mefenamato)cobalt(II), 2 have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The EPR spectra of complexes 1 and 2 in frozen solution reveal that they retain their structures. UV study of the interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus DNA (CT DNA) has shown that the complexes can bind to CT DNA and bis(methanol)bis(pyridine)bis-(mefenamato)cobalt(II) exhibits the highest binding constant. Competitive study with ethidium bromide (EB) has shown that the complexes can displace the DNA-bound EB indicating that they bind to DNA in strong competition with EB. The cyclic voltammograms of the complexes recorded in dmso solution and in the presence of CT DNA in 1 : 2 dmso : buffer (containing 150 mM NaCl and 15 mM trisodium citrate at pH 7.0) solution have shown that they can bind to CT DNA by the intercalative binding mode. Mefenamic acid and its cobalt(II) complexes exhibit good binding propensity to human or bovine serum albumin protein having relatively high binding constant values. The antioxidant activity of the compounds has been evaluated indicating their high scavenging activity against hydroxyl free radicals and superoxide radicals.

Copper(II) complexes with the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug mefenamic acid in the presence of aqua or nitrogen donor heterocyclic ligands (2,2'-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline, 2,2'-bipyridylamine or pyridine) have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structures of [(2,2'-bipyridine)bis(mefenamato)copper(II)], 2, [(2,2'-bipyridylamine)bis(mefenamato)copper(II)], 4, and [bis(pyridine)bis(methanol)bis(mefenamato)copper(II)], 5, have been determined by X-ray crystallography. UV study of the interaction of the complexes with calf-thymus DNA (CT DNA) has shown that the complexes can bind to CT DNA and [bis(aqua)tetrakis(mefenamato)dicopper(II)] exhibits the highest binding constant to CT DNA. The cyclic voltammograms of the complexes in the presence of CT DNA solution have shown that the complexes can bind to CT DNA by the intercalative binding mode verified also by DNA solution viscosity measurements. Competitive studies with ethidium bromide (EB) indicate that the complexes can displace the DNA-bound EB suggesting strong competition with EB. Mefenamic acid and its complexes exhibit good binding propensity to human or bovine serum albumin protein having relatively high binding constant values. All the compounds have been tested for their antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity as well as for their in vitro inhibitory activity against soybean lipoxygenase showing significant activity.

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The CsSnI perovskite and the corresponding SnF-containing material with nominal composition CsSnIF were synthesized by solid-state reactions and structurally characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. Both materials undergo rapid phase transformation upon exposure to air from the black orthorhombic phase (B-γ-CsSnI) to the yellow orthorhombic phase (Y-CsSnI), followed by irreversible oxidation into CsSnI within several hours. The phase transition occurs at a significantly lower rate in the SnF-containing material rather than in the pure perovskite. The high hole-carrier concentration of the materials prohibits the detection of Raman signals for B-γ-CsSnI and induces a very strong plasmonic reflectance in the far-IR. In contrast, far-IR phonon bands and a rich Raman spectrum are observed for the Y-CsSnI modification below 140 cm with weak frequency shift gradients versus temperatures between -95 and +170 °C. Above 170 °C, the signal is lost due to B-α-CsSnI re-formation. The photoluminescence spectra exhibit residual blue shifts and broadening as a sign of structural transformation initiation.