Solar power is an important and increasingly widespread form of renewable energy. If you've ever seen solar panels on someone's roof, they are probably made with crystalline silicon. However, the possibility of creating cheaper and more efficient solar cells motivates scientists to continue searching for alternative materials. Perovskites are one of the newest and most promising solar cell materials: they have seen incredible efficiency gains in just a few years, jumping from 3.8% in 2009 to over 20% in 2014. Even though there's been progress in improving perovskite-based device efficiency, there are many fundamental aspects of perovskite formation that are still not fully understood. The overall aim of my research is to study these processes and help fill in some of the knowledge gaps. Show Partial Abstract