In
practical applications, the mechanical properties of halide
perovskites (e.g., ABX3; A = monovalent
cation; B = divalent metal cation; X = halogen anion) are of fundamental
importance in achieving the durability of perovskite-based devices.
In contrast to the widely studied photovoltaic properties, the composition/structure–mechanical
property relationship in halide perovskites remains largely unexplored.
Here, taking cesium-based halide perovskite models as examples, we
have investigated the effects of chemical composition, phase transition,
structural dimensionality, octahedral layer thickness, and octahedral
connectivity on their mechanical properties using first-principles
calculations. Our calculations show that the geometric factors (i.e., ionic radius, bond length, and tolerance factor) can
reasonably explain the elastic property trends when varying the X-site
component. The electronic factors (i.e., electronegativity)
also play an important role in determining the mechanical strength
when varying the B-site component. The phase transition, the structural
dimensionality, the thickness of the [BX6] octahedral layer,
and the [BX6] octahedral connectivity have a crucial influence
on the mechanical properties if the chemical composition remains unchanged.
Our results provide valuable insights into the composition/structure–mechanical
property relationship of halide perovskites, which can guide the material
design and device optimization to achieve desired mechanical properties.