Remarkably Weak Anisotropy in Thermal Conductivity of Two-Dimensional Hybrid Perovskite Butylammonium Lead Iodide Crystals

Two-dimensional (2D) hybrid organic-inorganic 10 perovskites consisting of alternating organic and inorganic layers are a new class of layered structures. They have attracted increasing interest for photovoltaic, optoelectronic, and thermoelectric 10 applications, where knowing their thermal transport properties is critical. We carry out both experimental and computational studies on thermal transport properties of 2D butylammonium lead iodide crystals and find their thermal conductivity is ultralow (below 0.3 W m(-1) K-1) with very weak anisotropy (around 1.5) among layered crystals. Further analysis reveals that the unique structure with the preferential alignment of organic chains and complicated energy landscape leads to moderately smaller phonon lifetimes in the out-of-plane direction and comparable phonon group velocities in in-plane and out-of-plane directions. These new findings may guide the future design of novel hybrid materials with desired thermal conductivity for various applications.

Automated summary

Two-dimensional hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites exhibit ultralow thermal conductivity and weak anisotropy, with unique structure contributing to small phonon lifetimes and comparable phonon group velocities. These properties can guide the design of novel hybrid materials for various applications.