The Fascinating Properties of Tin-Alloyed Halide Perovskites

Tin-alloyed halide perovskites are progressively becoming more popular as slowly their optoelectronic properties start to rival those of the potentially risky pure lead analogues. However, to push this attractive semiconductor toward realistic applications, several major issues need to be solved. This Perspective will start with a description of the fundamental properties of tin-alloyed halide perovskites, continue discussing their weak points with special attention on the structural and electronic instabilities, and conclude examining the effects of the above-mentioned properties on devices. Finally we propose a plausible roadmap to further boost tin-alloyed halide perovskite devices to practical applications. We believe this roadmap should start from an understanding of this family of semiconductors from an atomistic viewpoint, proceeding to the control of thin-film fabrication, the structural properties, and finally the device optimization. We hope this Perspective can help to inject new enthusiasm and facilitate the progress in tin-alloyed halide perovskites, catalyzing their transition from the cradle of the laboratories to the reality of their fabrication.