This review article is devoted to the analysis and synthesis of results from electronic structure studies of lead-free double halide perovskites using Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods. In recent years, organic-inorganic perovskites have revolutionized the field of photovoltaics; however, their commercial application is hindered by high lead toxicity and phase instability. Replacing the lead ion with a combination of monovalent and trivalent cations to form a double perovskite structure (A₂B’B’’X₆) represents a promising solution to this problem. The paper comprehensively examines the methodological aspects of first-principles calculations, including the selection of exchange-correlation functionals (GGA-PBE, HSE06) and the inclusion of spin-orbit coupling necessary for the accurate description of systems containing heavy elements (e.g., bismuth). Key findings indicate that most well-known double halide perovskites, such as Cs₂AgBiBr₆ , possess an indirect bandgap, which limits their light-absorption efficiency. Mechanisms for bandgap engineering via halogen substitution and B-site doping are discussed. The theoretical significance of the work lies in the systematization of data regarding the nature of chemical bonds and band structure formation, where the valence band and conduction band are determined by the hybridization of halogen p-orbitals and metal d/p-orbitals. The practical significance of the study is demonstrated by justifying the use of computational modeling for the targeted search for new stable and environmentally safe materials for high-efficiency optoelectronic devices prior to expensive laboratory synthesis.
AIMAGANBETOVA Z.K.
PhD, associate professor, K. Zhubanov Aktobe regional university, Aktobe, Kazakhstan.
Е-mail: z.aimaganbetova@zhubanov.edu.kz, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8765-516X
ZHANTURINA N.N.
PhD, associate professor, K. Zhubanov Aktobe regional university, Aktobe, Kazakhstan.
Е-mail: nzhanturina@zhubanov.edu.kz, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9540-6334
KULSHYMBAYEV Y.A.
Master’s student, K. Zhubanov Aktobe regional university, Aktobe, Kazakhstan.
Е-mail: ekulsymbaev@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7210-3394
- Lu S., Zhou Q., Ouyang Y., Guo Y., Li Q., Wang J. Accelerated discovery of stable lead-free hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites via machine learning. Nature Communications. 2020. Vol. 9(1). P. 1-8. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05761-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05761-w
- Ghosh S., Shankar H., Kar P. Recent developments of lead-free halide double perovskites: a new superstar in the optoelectronic field. Materials Advances. 2022. Vol. 3. P. 3742-3765. DOI: 10.1039/D2MA00071g DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2MA00071G
- Zuo T., Qi F., Yam C., Meng L. Lead-free all-inorganic halide double perovskite materials for optoelectronic applications: progress, performance and design. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2022. Vol. 24. P. 26948-26961. DOI: 10.1039/D2CP03463H DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CP03463H
- Obada D.O., Akinpelu S.B., Abolade S.A. et al. Lead-Free Double Perovskites: A Review of the Structural, Optoelectronic, Mechanical, and Thermoelectric Properties Derived from First-Principles Calculations. Crystals. 2024. Vol. 14, No. 1. P. 86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14010086 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14010086
- Lee B.D., Lee J.W., Kim M. et al. Discovery of Pb-free hybrid organic-inorganic 2D perovskites using a stepwise optimization strategy. npj Computational Materials. 2022. Vol. 8. P. 83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-022-00781-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-022-00781-z
- Diao X., Diao Y., Tang Y. et al. High-throughput screening of stable and efficient double inorganic halide perovskite materials by DFT. Scientific Reports. 2022. Vol. 12. P. 12633. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16221-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16221-3
- Fatima, S.K., Alzard, R.H., Amna, R., Alzard, M.H., Zheng, K., & Abdellah, M. Lead-free perovskites for next-generation applications: a comprehensive computational and data-driven review. Materials Advances. 2025. Vol. 6. P. 7634-7661. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00478E DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MA00681C
- Landini E., Reuter K., Oberhofer H. Machine-learning Based Screening of Lead-free Halide Double Perovskites for Photovoltaic Applications. arXiv. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2208.12736
- Giannozzi P., Baroni S., Bonini N. et al. QUANTUM ESPRESSO: a modular and open-source software project for quantum simulations of materials. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 2009. Vol. 21, No. 39. P. 395502. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/21/39/395502 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/21/39/395502
- Kresse G., Furthmüller J. Efficient iterative schemes for ab initio total-energy calculations using a plane-wave basis set. Physical Review B. 1996. Vol. 54, No. 16. P. 11169-11186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.54.11169 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.54.11169
- Heyd J., Scuseria G.E., Ernzerhof M. Hybrid functionals based on a screened Coulomb potential. The Journal of Chemical Physics. 2003. Vol. 118, No. 18. P. 8207-8215. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1564060 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1564060
- Klarbring J., Singh U., Simak S.I., Abrikosov I. A. Electronic structure of magnetic halide double perovskites Cs₂(Ag,Na)FeCl₆ from first-principles. arXiv. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2211.16387
- Kuai Y., Chen C., Lu P. First-Principles Study Lead-Free Halide Double Perovskite Cs₂RhAgX₆ and Cs₂IrAgX₆. arXiv. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2410.22091
- Ibrahim I. A. M., Chung C.-Y. Lead-free double perovskites: how divalent cations tune the electronic structure for photovoltaic applications. Journal of Materials Chemistry C. 2022. Vol. 10. P. 12276-12285. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2TC02903K DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D2TC02903K
- Sofi M. Y., Khan M. S., Ali J. et al. Exploring the lead-free halide Cs₂MGaBr₆ (M = Li, Na) double perovskites for sustainable energy applications. Scientific Reports. 2024. Vol. 14. P. 5520. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54386-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54386-1
- Kumar A. A., Lee N. From optoelectronics to scintillation applications: the versatility of lead-free halide double perovskites. Materials Horizons. 2025. Vol. 12. P. 7749-7778. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MH00573F DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5MH00573F
