Properties and potential optoelectronic applications of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals

Single photon generation from quantum dots: recent advances, challenges and future directions

A single photon source (SPS) is a device designed to emit photons, one at a time, enabling precise control over quantum states, unlike classical light sources that produce interfering streams. This capability is crucial for secure communication protocols such as quantum key distribution and for quantum networks, where single photons act as carriers of quantum information. Recent advancements have led to various SPS technologies, including quantum dots (QDs), atom-like emitters, and color centers in diamonds. Among these, QDs, semiconductor nanocrystals, have gained significant attention due to their unique optical and electronic properties derived from quantum confinement effects. They offer size-dependent tuning of emission wavelengths, high photoluminescence efficiency, and discrete energy levels, making them ideal for single photon applications while exhibiting scalability and low background noise. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in quantum dot-based SPSs operating at room temperature, highlighting their optical properties, essential performance metrics, and the latest developments in single photon generation. It also discusses strategies to mitigate blinking and improve photon statistics through techniques such as plasmonic nanocavity and ligand exchange. The review concludes by outlining the challenges faced in the field and discussing potential solutions.

Hole Trapping in Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystal-Viologen Hybrids and Its Impact on Back Electron Transfer

Control of forward and back electron transfer processes in semiconductor nanocrystals is important to maximize charge separation for photocatalytic reduction/oxidation processes. By employing methyl viologen as the electron acceptor, we have succeeded in mapping the electron transfer from excited CsPbI3 nanocrystals to viologen as well as the hole trapping process. The electron transfer to viologen is an ultrafast process (ket = 2 × 1010 s-1) and results in the formation of extended charge separation as electrons are trapped at surface-bound viologen sites and holes at iodide sites. The I2─• formation, which is confirmed through the transient absorption at 750 nm, provides a convenient way to probe trapped holes and its participation in the back electron transfer process. By employing a series of mixed halide compositions, we were able to tune the bandgap and valence band energy of the perovskite donor. The back electron transfer rate constant (kbet = 1.3-2.6 × 107 s-1) is nearly three orders of magnitude smaller than that of forward electron transfer, thus extending the lifetime of the charge-separated state. The weak dependence of the back electron transfer rate constant on the valence band energy suggests that trapping of holes at halide (I or Br) sites is involved in the back electron transfer process. The ability to extend the lifetime of the charge-separated pair can offer new strategies to improve the redox properties of semiconductor-based photocatalytic systems.

Crossover of Frenkel and Wannier-Mott Excitons Through Halide Composition Tuning in Mixed Halide Perovskites

Using first-principles G0W0 (G0 is one-electron Green's function and W0 is the dynamical screening Coloumb potential) coupled Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) calculations with spin-orbit coupling, exceptionally strong excitonic effects are identified in several bismuth-based vacancy-ordered mixed halide double perovskites. These perovskites are thermodynamically stable with negative formation energy. For Cs3Bi2X9 (X = Cl,Br,I) double perovskites, both the bandgap and excitonic binding energy decrease as the size of the halogen atom increases. The excitonic effects can be tuned in mixed halide perovskites such as Cs3Bi2I6Cl3, Cs3Bi2I6Br3, Cs3Bi2Br6I3, Cs3Bi2Cl6Br3, Cs3Bi2Br6Cl3, and Cs3Bi2Cl6I3. This study reports the exciton radiative lifetimes of the vacancy-ordered perovskites, revealing that these excitons exhibit long radiative lifetimes, particularly for Cs3Bi2Br6I3 with 11141μ s $\umu \mathrm{s}$ at 300 K and 24μ s $\umu \mathrm{s}$ at 5 K. The long radiative lifetimes are linked to the delocalization of the exciton (Wannier-Mott type) in real space, whereas the more localized exciton (Frenkel type) in Cs3Bi2Cl6Br3 results in shorter radiative lifetimes of 155μ s $\umu \mathrm{s}$ at 300 K and 334 ns at 5 K. Due to their long exciton lifetime, these materials present interesting opportunities for photovoltaic applications.

Colloidal Perovskite Nanocrystal Superlattice Films with Simultaneous Polarized Emission and Orderly Electric Polarity via an In Situ Surface Cross-Linking Reaction

Superlattices (SLs) based on colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) represent a fascinating structure with long-range and ordered NCs inside the assembled superstructures, displaying great potential application in electronic devices because of the customizable arrangement of building blocks. It is a great challenge to achieve macroscopical SL films by a solution process due to the inherent sensitivity and difficulty in controlling colloidal NCs. In this study, we propose a controllable strategy to create perovskite CsPbBr3 NC SL films through a surface in situ cross-linking reaction incorporating conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a naturally polymerizable small molecule. CLA enables the in situ cross-linking of adjacent NCs under polarity-triggered conditions, which effectively arranges the NCs in a solid form at a molecular level to achieve fcc SL structural films. Importantly, we report for the first time NC SL films that are simultaneous with outstanding intrinsically linearly polarized emission and orderly electric polarity, which are derived from consistent dipole alignment, thus showing promising potential for application in information storage and optoelectronics. This method provides a general bottom-up approach, expanding the assembly library for fundamental studies and technological applications.

Studying the effect of dimensions and spacer ligands on the optical properties of 2D lead iodide perovskites

In recent years, metal-halide perovskites (MHPs) have emerged as highly promising optoelectronic materials based on their exceptional properties and versatility in applications such as solar cells, light-emitting devices, and radiation detectors. This study investigates the optical properties of two-dimensional (2D) MHPs, with the Ruddlesden-Popper structure, comparing three morphologies-bulk poly-crystals, colloidal nanoplatelets (NPs), and thin films, aiming to bridge between the bulk and nano dimensionalities. By synthesizing bulk 2D MHPs using long alkyl ammonium spacers, typically found in colloidal systems, and NPs using shorter ligands suitable for bulk growth, we elucidate the relationship between these materials' structural modifications and optical characteristics. We propose the existence of two regions in these 2D MHPs, which differ in their optoelectronic properties and are associated with "bulk" and "surface" regions. Specifically, for poly-crystals, we observe the appearance of a lower energy "bulk" phase associated with the stacking of many 2D sheets, apparent both in absorption and photoluminescence. For NPs, this stacking is hindered, and hence, only the "surface" phase exists. With the elongation of the spacer chain, the poly-crystal becomes more similar to the NPs. For thin films, an interesting phenomenon is observed - the rapid film formation mechanism forces a more colloid-like structure for the shorter ligands and a more poly-crystal-like structure for the longer ones. Overall, this study bridging the different dimensions of 2D MHPs may support new possibilities for future research and development in this innovative field.

Deviatoric stress-induced transition of self-trapped exciton emissions

Self-trapped exciton (STE) emissions, featured by broad spectral band and minimal self-absorption, have garnered considerable attention for advanced lighting and imaging applications. However, developing strategies to facilitate multiple STE states, modulate the emission energy and extend the emission range remains a great challenge. Here, we introduce deviatoric stress to induce another intrinsic STE state (STE-2) and enable transitions between the intrinsic STE state (STE-1) and STE-2 in pyramidal ZnO nanocrystals. This approach results in a remarkable shift in emission energy, from yellow-green (2.34 eV) to deep-blue (2.88 eV). Combined in-situ stress monitoring and optical experiments show that the STE-2 state originates from a potential well generated by the deviatoric yield deformation of the pyramidal crystals under deviatoric stress. Spectroscopic and dynamical characterizations of the two STE emissions reveal a transition process in the carrier's relaxation pathway from STE-2 to STE-1, and conversely at much higher pressures. These findings demonstrate that deviatoric stress serves as a robust tool for modulating STE emissions and provide new insights into the evolution of carrier dynamics of STE emissions.

Landé g-factors of electrons and holes strongly confined in CsPbI3 perovskite nanocrystals in glass

The Landé g-factor of charge carriers is a key parameter in spin physics controlling spin polarization and spin dynamics. In turn, it delivers information about the electronic band structure in the vicinity of the band gap and its modification in nanocrystals provided by strong carrier confinement. The coherent spin dynamics of electrons and holes are investigated in CsPbI3 perovskite nanocrystals with sizes varied from 4 to 16 nm by means of time-resolved Faraday ellipticity at the temperature of 6 K. The Landé g-factors of the charge carriers are evaluated through the Larmor spin precession in magnetic fields up to 430 mT across the spectral range from 1.69 to 2.25 eV, provided by variation of the nanocrystal size. The spectral dependence of the electron g-factor follows the model predictions when accounting for the mixing of the electronic bands with increasing confinement resulting from a decrease of the nanocrystal size. The spectral dependence of the hole g-factor, changing from -0.19 to +1.69, is considerably stronger than expected from the model. We analyze several mechanisms and conclude that none of them can be responsible for this difference. The renormalizations of the electron and hole g-factors roughly compensate each other, providing spectral independence for the bright exciton g-factor with a value of about +2.2.

Low-Dimensional Lead-Free Metal Halides for Efficient Electrically Driven Light-Emitting Diodes

Electrically driven light-emitting diodes (ED LEDs) based on 3D metal halide perovskites have seen remarkable advancements during the past decade. However, the highest-performing devices are largely based on lead-containing 3D perovskites, presenting two key challenges - toxicity and stability - that must be addressed for commercialization. Reducing structural dimensionality and incorporating non-lead metals present promising pathways to address these issues. Although research on ED LEDs based on low-dimensional, lead-free metal halides (LD LFMHs) is growing, their performance still significantly lags behind that of 3D lead halide perovskites. This review seeks to deliver a comprehensive overview of ED LEDs based on LD LFMHs, covering a brief history of their development, methods for material synthesis, luminescence mechanisms, and applications in electroluminescent devices. It also examines current challenges and proposes practical strategies to enhance device performance, with the goal of inspiring further progress in the field.

Direct Partial Transformation of 2D Antimony Oxybromide to Halide Perovskite Heterostructure for Efficient CO2 Photoreduction

The photocatalytic activity of lead-free perovskite heterostructures currently suffers from low efficiency due to the lack of active sites and the inadequate photogenerated carrier separation, the latter of which is hindered by slow charge transfer at the heterostructure interfaces. Herein, a facile strategy is reported for the construction of lead-free halide-perovskite-based heterostructure with swift interfacial charge transfer, achieved through direct partial conversion of 2D antimony oxybromide Sb4O5Br2 to generate Cs3Sb2Br9/Sb4O5Br2 heterostructure. Compared to the traditional electrostatic self-assembly method, this approach endows the Cs3Sb2Br9/Sb4O5Br2 heterostructure with a tightly interconnected interface through in situ partial conversion, significantly accelerating interfacial charge transfer and thereby enhancing the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. The cobalt-doped Cs3Sb2Br9/Sb4O5Br2 heterostructure demonstrates a record-high electron consumption rate of 840 µmol g-1 h-1 for photocatalytic CO2 reduction to CO coupled with H2O oxidation to O2, which is over 74- and 16-fold higher than that of individual Sb4O5Br2 and Cs3Sb2Br9, respectively. This work provides an effective strategy for promoting charge separation in photocatalysts to improve the performance of artificial photosynthesis.

High Defect Tolerance Breaking the Design Limitation of Full-Spectrum Multimodal Luminescence Materials

With the development of optical anti-counterfeiting and the increasing demand for high-level information encryption, multimodal luminescence (MML) materials attract much attention. However, the discovery of these multifunctional materials is very accidental, and the versatile host suitable for developing such materials remains unclear. Here, a grossite-type fast ionic conductor CaGa4O7, characterized by layered and tunnel structure with excellent defect tolerance, is found to meet the needs of various luminescent processes. Almost all luminescent modes, including down/up-conversion luminescence (DCL/UCL), long persistent luminescence (LPL), mechanoluminescence (ML), and X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL), are realized in this single host. Full-spectrum (from violet to near-infrared) photoluminescence and ML as well as multicolor XEOL are achieved by simply changing the doped luminescent center. A series of anti-counterfeiting devices, including the quasi-dynamic display of famous paintings, digital information encryption, and multi-color handwritten signatures, are designed to show the encryption of information in temporal and spatial dimensions. This study clarifies the importance of defect tolerance of the host for the development of MML materials, and provides a unique insight into the cross-field applications of special functional materials, which is a new strategy to accelerate the development of novel MML materials.

Tailorable Fluorescent Perovskite Quantum Dots for Multiform Manufacturing via Two-Step Thiol-Ene Click Chemistry

In practical applications, fluorescent perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) must exhibit high efficiency, stability, and processibility. So far, it remains a challenge to synthesize PQDs with stable dispersibility in tailorable monomers both before and after photocuring. In this work, a novel strategy of UV-induced two-step thiol-ene "click chemistry" is proposed to prepare PQDs with these attributes. The first step aims to epitaxially grow a shell around the PQD core to ensure stable dispersibility in a thiol-ene monomer solution. The second step is to achieve stable dispersibility in the photocured thiol-ene matrixes for multiform manufacturing processes. The tailorable PQDs (T-PQDs) not only have the highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) to ≈100% for green emission and over 96% for red emission, but also exhibit remarkable stability under severe conditions, including "double 85" aging, water exposure, and mechanical stress. Moreover, their exceptional processability allows for various processing techniques, including slot-die coating, inkjet printing, direct-laser writing, UV-light 3D printing, nanoimprinting, and spin coating. The high efficiency and stability of T-PQDs facilitate their multiform manufacturing for a wide range of applications.

A Study of Halide Ion Exchange-Induced Phase Transition in CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots for Detecting Chlorinated Volatile Compounds

The unique optical properties of perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), particularly the tunable photoluminescence (PL) across the visible spectrum, make them a promising tool for chlorinated detection. However, the correlation between the fluorescence emission shift behavior and the interface of phase transformation in PQDs has not been thoroughly explored. In this study, we synthesized CsPbBr3 PQDs via the hot-injection method and demonstrated their ability to detect chlorinated volatile compounds such as HCl and NaOCl through a halide exchange process between the PQDs' solid thin film and the chlorinated vapor phase. This exchange process, which occurs alongside chloride (Cl) and bromine (Br) ion exchange and halide atom rearrangement, leads to sequential structural changes: the initial CsPbBr3 cubic Pm3̅m phase transitions to the CsPb2BrxCl5-x tetragonal I4/mcm phase, which subsequently transforms into the CsPbBrxCl3-x orthorhombic Pnma phase. The detailed exploration of this proposed mechanism during chlorinated vapor detection with CsPbBr3 PQDs thin films, supported by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and PL spectrum over time, revealed high sensitivity to HCl vapor. The limit of detection (LOD) for HCl vapor was determined to be 0.02 ppm in visual recognition and 0.005 ppm via PL spectra. Additionally, the LOD for NaOCl was established at 0.50 ppm, facilitated by the photolysis reaction accelerating the conversion of NaOCl to HCl vapor under UV light irradiation. These insights have enriched our understanding of the mechanisms involved and broadened the potential use of CsPbBr3 PQDs as PL detection probes for chloride ions.

Complex Refractive Index Spectrum of CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals via the Effective Medium Approximation

We have estimated the intrinsic complex refractive index spectrum of a CsPbBr3 nanocrystal. With various dilute solutions of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals dissolved in toluene, effective refractive indices were measured at two different wavelengths using Michelson interferometry. Given the effective absorption spectrum of the solution, a full spectrum of the effective refractive index was also obtained through the Kramers-Krönig relations. Based on the Maxwell-Garnett model in the effective medium approximation, the real and imaginary spectrum of the complex refractive index was estimated for the CsPbBr3 nanocrystal, and the dominant inaccuracy was attributed to the size inhomogeneity.

Improved self-powered perovskite CH3NH3PbI3/SnO2 heterojunction photodetectors achieved by interfacial engineering with a synergic effect

Lead halide perovskite heterojunctions have been considered as important building blocks for fabricating high-performance photodetectors (PDs). However, the interfacial defects induced non-radiative recombination and interfacial energy-level misalignment induced ineffective carrier transport severely limit the performance of photodetection of resulting devices. Herein, interfacial engineering with a spin-coating procedure has been studied to improve the photodetection performance of CH3NH3PbI3/SnO2 heterojunction PDs, which were fabricated by sputtering a SnO2 thin film on ITO glass followed by spin-coating a CH3NH3PbI3 thin film. It has shown that spin-coating of a SnO2 layer on the sputtered SnO2 thin films suppressed the surface oxygen vacancies of SnO2 thin films and up-shifted their conduction band, which suppressed the interfacial non-radiative recombination and enhanced the carriers transport at the CH3NH3PbI3/SnO2 interface, respectively. Accordingly, improved photodetection performance, such as the reduced dark current and increased photocurrent, has been observed in the CH3NH3PbI3/SnO2 heterojunction PDs, where the responsivity and detectivity of 0.077 A W-1 and 2.0 × 1011 jones, respectively, at the zero bias have been demonstrated. These results show a simple way to suppress the interfacial non-radiative recombination and enhance the carrier transport at the interface to fabricate improved perovskite heterojunction PDs in the future.

Catalyst-assisted growth of CsPbBr3 perovskite nanowires

Halide perovskites (HPs), particularly at the nanoscale, attract attention due to their unique optical properties compared to other semiconductors. They exhibit bright emission, defect tolerance, and a broad tunable band gap. The ability to directly transport charge carriers along the HPs nanowires (NWs) has led to the development of methods for their synthesis. Most of these methods involve some version of an oriented attachment step with various modifications. In this study, we introduce CsPbBr3 nanowires produced via the solution-solid-solid (SSS) catalyst-assisted growth mechanism for the first time. We explored the kinetics of this process and examined the connection between the catalyst phase and its reactivity. We show how HP NWs grow with different SSS catalysts (i.e., Ag2S, Ag2Se, CuS) and discuss the required conditions for successful synthesis utilizing this mechanism. This method opens up a new avenue for producing HP NWs, which can be used to design and form new types of hybrid nanostructures.

Optimizing Sublattice Correlation to Enhance Stability and Charge Carrier Lifetime in Mixed Halide Perovskites

A-site cations in ABX3 metal halide perovskites do not contribute to the frontier electronic states. They influence optoelectronic properties indirectly through interaction with the BX3 sublattice. By systematically investigating correlated motions of Cs cations and the PbX3 lattice (X = Cl, Br, I), we demonstrate that the interaction between the two subsystems depends on electronegativity and size of the X-site anion. The most electronegative Cl halide minimizes thermal atomic fluctuations, favoring optoelectronic performance. CsPbI3 is improved by Cl-doping. Nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that charge carrier lifetime is extended by nearly an order of magnitude when atomic fluctuations are minimized, due to reduced electron-vibrational interactions, in agreement with experiments. The detailed atomistic examination of the significant impact of correlated motion of the A-site and BX3 sublattices and its influence on perovskite stability and exciton lifetime offers theoretical guidelines for optimizing perovskite optoelectronic devices.

Breaking the Boundaries of the Goldschmidt Tolerance Factor with Ethylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite Nanocrystals

We report the synthesis of ethylammonium lead iodide (EAPbI3) colloidal nanocrystals as another member of the lead halide perovskites family. The insertion of an unusually large A-cation (274 pm in diameter) in the perovskite structure, hitherto considered unlikely due to the unfavorable Goldschmidt tolerance factor, results in a significantly larger lattice parameter compared to the Cs-, methylammonium- and formamidinium-based lead halide perovskite homologues. As a consequence, EAPbI3 nanocrystals are highly unstable, evolving to a nonperovskite δ-EAPbI3 polymorph within 1 day. Also, EAPbI3 nanocrystals are very sensitive to electron irradiation and quickly degrade to PbI2 upon exposure to the electron beam, following a mechanism similar to that of other hybrid lead iodide perovskites (although degradation can be reduced by partially replacing the EA+ ions with Cs+ ions). Interestingly, in some cases during this degradation the formation of an epitaxial interface between (EAxCs1-x)PbI3 and PbI2 is observed. The photoluminescence emission of the EAPbI3 perovskite nanocrystals, albeit being characterized by a low quantum yield (∼1%), can be tuned in the 664-690 nm range by regulating their size during the synthesis. The emission efficiency can be improved upon partial alloying at the A site with Cs+ or formamidinium cations. Furthermore, the morphology of the EAPbI3 nanocrystals can be chosen to be either nanocube or nanoplatelet, depending on the synthesis conditions.

Controlled Synthesis of Perovskite Nanocrystals at Room Temperature by Liquid Crystalline Templates

Perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) are promising active materials because of their outstanding optoelectronic properties, which are finely tunable via size and shape. However, previous synthetic methods such as hot-injection and ligand-assisted reprecipitation require a high synthesis temperature or provide limited access to homogeneous PNCs, leading to the present lack of commercial value and real-world applications of PNCs. Here, we report a room-temperature approach to synthesize PNCs within a liquid crystalline antisolvent, enabling access to PNCs with a precisely defined size and shape and with reduced surface defects. We demonstrate that elastic strains and long-range molecular ordering of the liquid crystals play a key role in not only regulating the growth of PNCs but also promoting high surface passivation of PNCs with ligands. The approach is a simple, rapid, and room-temperature process, yet it enables access to highly homogeneous PNCs on a mass scale with substantially reduced surface defect states leading to significantly enhanced optoelectronic features. Our results provide a versatile and generalizable strategy to be broadly compatible with a range of nanomaterials and other synthetic methods such as ligand exchange and microfluidic processes.

Surface modification unleashes light emitting applications of APbX3 perovskite nanocrystals

Engineering the surface of metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (MHPNCs) is crucial for optimizing their optical properties, repairing surface defects, enhancing quantum yield, and ensuring long-term stability. These enhancements make surface-engineered MHPNCs ideal for applications in light-emitting devices (LEDs), displays, lasers, and photodetectors, contributing to energy efficiency. This article delves into an introduction to MHPNCs, their structure and types, particularly the ABX3 type (where A represents monovalent organic/inorganic cations, B represents divalent metal ions mainly Pb metal, and X represents halide ions), synthesis methods, unique optical properties, surface modification techniques using various agents (particularly inorganic molecules/materials, organic molecules, polymers, and biomolecules) to tune optical properties and applications in the aforementioned light-emitting technologies, challenges and opportunities, including advantages and disadvantages of surface-modified APbX3 MHPNCs, and a summary and future outlook. This article explores surface modification strategies to improve the optical performance of MHPNCs and aims to inspire advancements in light emitting applications. Importantly, the challenges and opportunities section of this article will illuminate the path to overcoming obstacles, providing invaluable insights for researchers in this field. This in-depth review explores the surface engineering of MHPNCs for light-emitting applications, highlighting their notable advantages and addressing ongoing challenges. By delving deep into various surface modification strategies, this article aims to revolutionize MHPNC-based light-emitting applications, setting a new benchmark in the field. This paves the way for revolutionary advancements, maximizing the capabilities of surface-engineered MHPNCs and heralding a transformative era in precise light-emitting research.

Bidentate Lewis Base Ligand-Mediated Surface Stabilization and Modulation of the Electronic Structure of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals

The desorption of conventional ligands from the surface of halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) often causes their structural instability and deterioration of the optoelectronic properties. To address this challenge, we present an approach of using a bidentate Lewis base ligand, namely, 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (DBPP), for the synthesis of CsPbBr3 NCs. The phosphine group of DBPP has a strong interaction with the PbBr2 precursor, forming a highly crystalline intermediate complex during the reaction. In the presence of oleic acid, the uncoordinated phosphine group of DBPP is converted into the phosphonium cation, which strongly binds to the surface bromide of the formed CsPbBr3 NCs through hydrogen bonding. Density functional theory calculations suggest that DBPP can strongly bind to the undercoordinated lead and surface bromide ions of CsPbBr3 NCs through its unprotonated and protonated phosphine groups, respectively. The robust binding of DBPP to the surface of perovskite NCs helps to preserve their structural integrity under various environmental stresses. Moreover, the electron density and energy levels are regulated in DBPP-capped CsPbBr3 NCs by the donation of electrons from the ligands to the NCs, resulting in their improved photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance. Our study highlights the potential of using bidentate ligands to stabilize the surface of perovskite NCs and modulate their optical and electronic properties.

Virtual Frisch grid perovskite CsPbBr3 semiconductor with 2.2-centimeter thickness for high energy resolution gamma-ray spectrometer

High intrinsic detection efficiency is as decisive as high energy resolution. Scaling up detector volume has presented great challenges, preventing perovskite semiconductors from reaching sufficient detection efficiency. We report a hole-only virtual-Frisch-grid CsPbBr3 detector up to 2.2 cm thick for efficient gamma-ray spectroscopy. By utilizing high-quality columnar CsPbBr3 single crystals up to ~1 cm3, we configure virtual-Frisch-grid detectors with optimized weighting potential distribution. These centimeter-thick detectors outperform ambipolar planar configuration, achieving a champion energy resolution of 1.9% at 662 keV. Time-of-flight analysis, stimulated by single gamma-ray photon, reveals hole carrier multiplication effect possibly caused by Auger recombination and space charge accumulation effect, collectively driving an anomalous stabilization process. Digital pulse measurements reduce the ballistic deficit, thereby improving the spectral response to 2.2% at 662 keV for 2.2 cm thick detector. The low-cost device fabrication and adequate detection efficiency of virtual-Frisch-grid detectors will surely foster the development of large-volume perovskite detectors.

Non-convergence of the blinking timescale of twelve-faceted perovskite nanocrystals observed through an advanced fluorescence correlation spectroscopy study

Single-particle photoluminescence measurements have been extensively utilized to investigate the charge carrier dynamics in quantum dots (QDs). Among these techniques, single dot blinking studies are effective for probing relatively slower processes with timescales >10 ms, whereas fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) studies are suited for recording faster processes with timescales typically <1 ms. In this study, we utilized scanning FCS (sFCS) to bridge the ms gap, thereby enabling the tracking of carrier dynamics across an extended temporal window ranging from μs to subsecond. We compared the sFCS data recorded on surface-immobilized twelve-faceted CsPbBr3 dodecahedron perovskite nanocrystals (d-PNCs) with the FCS data of the same nanocrystals in the solution phase. Although the two datasets exhibited similarities in a qualitative sense, they revealed notable quantitative differences. This is primarily attributed to the significantly varying immediate environments of PNCs in these two techniques, as well as the different temporal sizes of the observation windows available for the recording of carrier dynamics. The most intriguing finding of our study lies in the non-converging blinking timescale (τR) of d-PNCs in sFCS, despite this technique providing an extended temporal window size (≤328 ms) for studying carrier dynamics. We attribute this observation to PL blinking following power-law statistics, which causes the mean ON/OFF duration of blinking persuasive to the experimental integration time, making blinking occur across all timescales.

Towards non-blinking and photostable perovskite quantum dots

Surface defect-induced photoluminescence blinking and photodarkening are ubiquitous in lead halide perovskite quantum dots. Despite efforts to stabilize the surface by chemically engineering ligand binding moieties, blinking accompanied by photodegradation still poses barriers to implementing perovskite quantum dots in quantum emitters. To date, ligand tail engineering in the solid state has rarely been explored for perovskite quantum dots. We posit that attractive intermolecular interactions between low-steric ligand tails, such as π-π stacking, can promote the formation of a nearly epitaxial ligand layer that significantly reduces the quantum dot surface energy. Here, we show that single CsPbBr3 quantum dots covered by stacked phenethylammonium ligands exhibit nearly non-blinking single photon emission with high purity (~ 98%) and extraordinary photostability (12 hours continuous operation and saturated excitations), allowing the determination of size-dependent exciton radiative rates and emission line widths of CsPbBr3 quantum dots at the single particle level.

Surface Planarization-Epitaxial Growth Enables Uniform 2D/3D Heterojunctions for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Modules

Two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) halide perovskite heterojunctions are widely used to improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells. However, interfacial defects between the 2D and 3D perovskites and the poor coverage of the 2D capping layer still hinder long-term stability and homogeneous charge extraction. Herein, a surface planarization strategy on 3D perovskite is developed that enables an epitaxial growth of uniform 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction via a vapor-assisted process. The homogeneous charge extraction and suppression of interfacial nonradiative recombination is achieved by forming a uniform 2D/3D interface. As a result, a stabilized power output efficiency of 25.97% is achieved by using a 3D perovskite composition with a bandgap of 1.55 eV. To demonstrate the universality of the strategy applied for different perovskites, the champion device based on a 1.57 eV bandgap 3D perovskite results in an efficiency of 25.31% with a record fill factor of 87.6%. Additionally, perovskite solar modules achieve a designated area (24.04 cm2) certified efficiency of 20.75% with a high fill factor of 80.0%. Importantly, the encapsulated uniform 2D/3D modules retain 96.9% of the initial efficiency after 1246 h operational tracking under 65 °C (ISOS-L-3 protocol) and 91.1% after 862 h under the ISOS-O-1 protocol.

Recent Advances in Metal Halide Perovskites for CO2 Photocatalytic Reduction: An Overview and Future Prospects

The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels has become a significant research focus in recent years due to its environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. Metal halide perovskites (MHPs), renowned for their remarkable optoelectronic properties and tunable structures, are regarded as promising photocatalysts. Yet, their practical uses are constrained by inherent instability, severe electron-hole recombination, and a scarcity of active sites, prompting substantial research efforts to optimize MHP-based photocatalysts. This review summarizes the latest advancements in MHP-based photocatalysis. First the fundamental principles of photocatalysis are outlined and the structural and optical characteristics of MHPs are evaluated. Then key strategies for enhancing MHP photocatalysts, including morphology and surface modification, encapsulation, metal cation doping, heterojunction engineering, and molecular immobilization are highlighted. Finally, considering recent research progress and the needs for industrial application, challenges and future prospects are explored. This review aims to support researchers in the development of more efficient and stable MHP-based photocatalysts.

The Perovskite Optoelectronic Devices - A Look at the Future

The perovskite materials are broadly incorporated into optoelectronic devices due to a number of advantages. Their rapid technological progress is related to the relatively simple fabrication process, low production cost and high efficiency. Significant improvement is made in the light emitting, detection performance and device design especially operating in the visible and near-infrared regions. This review presents the status and possible future development of the perovskite devices such as solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. The fundamental properties of perovskite materials related to their effective device applications are summarized. Since the development of the perovskite technology is mainly driven by the revolutionary evolution of the semiconductor perovskite solar cell as a robust candidate for next-generation solar energy harvesting, this topic is considered first. The device engineering of various perovskite photodetector structures, including perovskite quantum dot photodetectors, is then discussed in detail. Their performance is compared with the current commercial photodetectors available on the global market together with their challenges. Finally, the considerable progress in the fabrication of the perovskite light-emitting diodes with external quantum efficiency exceeding 20% is presented. The paper is completed in an attempt to determine the development of perovskite optoelectronic devices in the future.

Wide-Bandgap Lead Halide Perovskites for Next-Generation Optoelectronics: Current Status and Future Prospects

Over the past decade, lead halide perovskites (LHPs), an emerging class of organic-inorganic ionic-type semiconductors, have drawn worldwide attention, which injects vitality into next-generation optoelectronics. Facilely tunable bandgap is one of the fascinating features of LHPs, enabling them to be widely used in various nano/microscale applications. Notably, wide-bandgap (WBG) LHPs have been considered as promising alternatives to traditional WBG semiconductors owing to the merits of low-cost, solution processability, superior optoelectronic characteristics, and flexibility, which could improve the cost-effectiveness and expand the application scenarios of traditional WBG devices. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review on the up-to-date research progress of WBG LHPs and their optoelectronics in terms of material fundamentals, optoelectronic devices, and their practical applications. First, the features and shortcomings of WBG LHPs are introduced to objectively display their natural features. Then we separately depict three typical optoelectronic devices based on WBG LHPs, including solar cells, light emitting diodes, and photodetectors. Sequentially, the inspiring applications of these optoelectronic devices in integrated functional systems are elaborately demonstrated. At last, the remaining challenges and future promise of WBG LHPs in optoelectronic applications are discussed. This review highlights the significance of WGB LHPs for promoting the development of the next-generation optoelectronics industry.

Surface Doping to Suppress Iodine Ion Migration for Stable FAPbI3 Perovskite Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Formamidine lead iodide (FAPbI3) quantum dots (QDs) have attracted great attention as a new generation of photovoltaic material due to their long carrier diffusion length, benign ambient stability, and light-harvesting ability. However, its large surface area with inherent thermodynamic instability and highly defective ionic termination are still major obstacles to fabricating high-performance devices. Herein, a metallic ion dopant is developed to post-treat FAPbI3 QDs immediately after their fabrication by using a metal-glutamate salt solution. Both experimental and theoretical results show that alkaline (earth) metal ions (Mg2+, Na+, and K+) in their glutamate salt can not only successfully substitute insulating long-chain ligands to form thinner ligand shells but inhibit the formation of iodine vacancies on the surface of QDs. As a result, the glutamate-Mg based solar cell exhibits a champion efficiency of 13.48%, and the other two solar cells treated by glutamate alkaline metal salts (Na+ and K+) achieve photoelectrical conversion efficiencies of 13.26% and 11.88%, respectively, all of which are higher than of control cell with an efficiency of 11.58%. Therefore, this substantial progress provides intuitive cognition and guidance for the improvement of photoelectric performance and the commercial application of quantum dot solar cells.

Unveiling the Antithermal Quenching Behavior in 0D Inorganic Metal Halide Cs2InCl5(H2O) Mediated by Upconversion Emission

Inorganic metal halides (IMHs) often suffer from severe fluorescence thermal quenching, limiting their application at elevated temperatures. Therefore, the exploration of IMHs exhibiting antithermal quenching (ATQ) behavior is of great importance. In this study, we developed a green synthetic route using a solvent evaporation method to successfully synthesize the 0D IMHs Cs2InCl5(H2O). By precise control over the doping ratios of Sb3+, Yb3+, and Er3+, unique dual-mode emission properties are obtained. As the temperature increases, the compound exhibited downconversion and upconversion luminescence, with relative sensitivity SR-max values of 7.11% K-1 and 1.21% K-1, respectively. Particularly anomalous is the compound's manifestation of an unconventional ATQ behavior during the upconversion process. In situ structural analysis confirmed that under high-temperature conditions, the 0D Cs2InCl5(H2O) metal halide undergoes structural evolution, transitioning through a Cs3In2Cl9 phase, which is responsible for the ATQ. This study provides experimental evidence for the abnormal ATQ of 0D metal halides, offering new inspiration for the multifunctionalization of 0D metal halides in high-temperature temperature sensing and dual-mode luminescence.

Vacancy Effect on the Luminescent and Water Responsive Properties of Vacancy-Ordered Double Perovskite Derivatives

Vacancy-ordered perovskites and derivatives represent an important subclass of hybrid metal halides with promise in applications including light emitting devices and photovoltaics. Understanding the vacancy-property relationship is crucial for designing related task-specific materials, yet research in this field remains sporadic. For the first time, we use the Connolly surface to quantitatively calculate the volume of vacancy (V□, □=vacancy) in vacancy-ordered double perovskite derivatives (VDPDs). A relationship between void fraction and the structure, photoluminescent properties and humidity stability was established based on zero-dimensional (0-D) [N(alkyl)4]2Sb□Cl5□'-type VDPDs. Compared with the more commonly studied A2M(IV)X6□-type double perovskite (A=cation, M=metal ion, X=halide), [N(alkyl)4]2Sb□Cl5□' features double vacancy sites. Our results demonstrate an inverse relationship between the photoluminescent quantum yield and V□ in 0-D VDPDs. Additionally, structural transformation from A2SbCl5 to A3Sb2Cl9 was first reported, during which the novel 'gate-opening' gas adsorption phenomenon was observed in VDPDs for the first time, as evidenced by 'S'-shaped sorption isotherms for water vapor, indicating a cation-controlled water-vapor response behavior. A mixed-cation strategy was developed to modulate the humidity stability of VDPDs. Characterized by controllable water-responsive behavior and unique 'on-off-on' luminescent switching, A2M(III)□X5□'-type materials show great promise for multi-level information anti-counterfeiting applications.

Controllable Multi-Exciton Zero-Dimensional Antimony-Based Metal Halides for White-light Emission and β-Ray Detection

Self-trapped exciton (STE) emission, typified by antimony (Sb), with broadband characteristics, represents the next generation of materials for solid-state lighting and radiation detection. However, little is known about the multiexciton behavior of the Sb emission center. Here, we proposed a general approach for designing antimony-centered multi-exciton emitting materials through self-assembly. Benefitting from controllable multiexciton behavior, dual-band white light emission spanning the entire visible spectrum was achieved. Relying on the reduction of an effective atomic number brought by self-assembly, excellent scintillation response to β-rays was attained. This study offers unprecedented insight into hybrid single/triple STE emission and unveils new avenues for single-emitter white-light emission, as well as radiographic testing using low-risk β-rays as sources.

Strategies for Controlling Emission Anisotropy in Lead Halide Perovskite Emitters for LED Outcoupling Enhancement

In the last decade, momentous progress in lead halide perovskite (LHP) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is witnessed as their external quantum efficiency (ηext) has increased from 0.1 to more than 30%. Indeed, perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs), which can in principle reach 100% internal quantum efficiency as they are not limited by the spin-statistics, are reaching their full potential and approaching the theoretical limit in terms of device efficiency. However, ≈70% to 85% of total generated photons are trapped within the devices through the dissipation pathways of the substrate, waveguide, and evanescent modes. To this end, numerous extrinsic and intrinsic light-outcoupling strategies are studied to enhance light-outcoupling efficiency (ηout). At the outset, various external and internal light outcoupling techniques are reviewed with specific emphasis on emission anisotropy and its role on ηout. In particular, the device ηext can be enhanced by up to 50%, taking advantage of the increased probability for photons outcoupled to air by effectively inducing horizontally oriented emission transition dipole moments (TDM) in the perovskite emitters. The role of the TDM orientation in PeLED performance and the factors allowing its rational manipulation are reviewed extensively. Furthermore, this account presents an in-depth discussion about the effects of the self-assembly of LHP colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) into superlattices on the NC emission anisotropy and optical properties.

Internal Electric Field Manipulates Exciton-Phonon Couplings in Single Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals

Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted much attention as materials for light-emitting diodes and quantum light sources. A deep understanding of exciton-phonon couplings is essential for obtaining a narrow emission line, weak phonon-sideband photoluminescence (PL), and a long exciton coherence time, which are especially useful for high-color-purity quantum-light-source applications. Here, we report the PL spectra of single CsPbBr3 NCs at 5.5 K as a function of the applied electric field. The exciton peak energy shows an asymmetric parabolic shift for positive and negative biases, implying the presence of a spontaneously generated internal electric field in the NCs when no field is applied. Both the internal electric field and exciton-phonon couplings become larger in smaller NCs, and they have a positive correlation with each other. Our findings show that the exciton-phonon couplings can be manipulated with an electric field, which dominates the PL properties of perovskite NCs.

Exceptional Stability against Water, UV Light, and Heat for CsPbBr3@Pb-MOF Composites

All-inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have been widely applied in optoelectronic devices owing to their excellent photoluminescence (PL) properties. However, poor stability upon exposure to water, UV light or heat strongly limits their practical application. Herein, CsPbBr3@Pb-MOF composites with exceptional stability against water, UV light, and heat are synthesized by ultrasonic processing the precursors of lead-based MOF (Pb-MOF), oleylammonium bromide (OAmBr) and cesium oleate (Cs-OA) solutions at room temperature. Pb-MOF can not only provide the lead source for the in situ growth of CsPbBr3 NCs, but also the protective layer of perovskites NCs. The formed CsPbBr3@Pb-MOF composites show a considerable PL quantum yield (PLQY) of 67.8%, and can maintain 90% of the initial PL intensity when immersed in water for 2 months. In addition, the outstanding PL stability against UV light and heat is demonstrated with CsPbBr3 NCs synthesized by the conventional method as a comparison. Finally, a green (light-emitting diode) LED is fabricated using green-emitting CsPbBr3@Pb-MOF composites and exhibits excellent stability without packaging when immersed in water for 30 days. This study provides a practical approach to improve the stability in aqueous phase, which may pave the way for future applications for various optoelectronic devices.

Inducing Efficient and Multiwavelength Circularly Polarized Emission From Perovskite Nanocrystals Using Chiral Metasurfaces

Chiral nano-emitters have recently received great research attention due to their technological applications and the need for a fundamental scientific understanding of the structure-property nexus of these nanoscale materials. Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP NCs) with many interesting optical properties have anticipated great promise for generating chiral emission. However, inducing high anisotropy chiral emission from achiral perovskite NCs remains challenging. Although chiral ligands have been used to induce chirality, their anisotropy factors (glum) are low [10-3 to 10-2]. Herein, the generation of high anisotropy circularly polarized photoluminescence (CPL) from LHP NCs is demonstrated using chiral metasurfaces by depositing nanocrystals on top of prefabricated resonant photonic structures (2D gammadion arrays). This scalable approach results in CPL with glum to a record high of 0.56 for perovskite NCs. Furthermore, the differences between high-index dielectric chiral metasurfaces and metallic ones are explored for inducing chiral emission. More importantly, the generation of simultaneous multi-wavelength circularly polarized light is demonstrated by combining dielectric and metallic chiral metasurfaces.

Spontaneous Cooling Enables High-Quality Perovskite Wafers for High-Sensitivity X-Ray Detectors with a Low-Detection Limit

Developing high-quality perovskite wafers is essential for integrating perovskite technology throughout the chip industry chain. In this article, a spontaneous cooling strategy with a hot-pressing technique is presented to develop high-purity, wafer-scale, pinhole-free perovskite wafers with a reflective surface. This method can be extended to a variety of perovskite wafers, including organic-inorganic, 2D, and lead-free perovskites. Besides, the size of the wafer with diameters of 10, 15, and 20 mm can be tailored by changing the mold. Furthermore, the mechanism of spontaneous cooling for improving the quality of perovskite wafers is revealed. Finally, the high-quality lead-free Cs3Cu2I5 perovskite wafers demonstrate excellent X-ray detection performances with a high sensitivity of 3433.6 µC Gyair -1 cm-2 and a low detection limit of 33.17 nGyair s-1. Moreover, the Cs3Cu2I5 wafers exhibit outstanding environmental and operational stability even without encapsulation. These research presents a spontaneous cooling strategy to achieve wafer-scale, high-quality perovskites with mirror-like surfaces for X-ray detection, paving the way for integrating perovskites into electronic and optoelectronic devices and promoting the practical application of perovskite X-ray detectors.

Dynamic Passivation of Perovskite Films via Gradual Additive Release for Enhanced Solar Cell Efficiency

Modifying perovskites with functional additives has proven effective in refining the crystallization process and passivating the defects of perovskite films, thereby ensuring high photovoltaic efficiencies. However, conventional methods that involve pre-mixing additives into the precursor solution often face challenges due to discrepancies in the spatial distribution of slow-diffused additives relative to dynamically formed defect sites, resulting in limited passivation effectiveness. To address this issue, this study innovatively proposes a dynamic passivation strategy that utilizes a pre-passivator to gradually release active additives during the thermal crystallization process of perovskite films. By leveraging the principle of energy minimization, these timely-released additives can interact precisely and selectively with the high-energy defect sites generated during crystallization, thus facilitating efficient additive utilization and in situ real-time defect passivation. Through analysis of crystallization kinetics and carrier dynamic, it is demonstrated that this dynamic passivation approach significantly improves film quality and prolongs carrier lifetime, outperforming traditional pre-mixing tactics. Consequently, the final perovskite solar cell achieves an impressive solar conversion efficiency of 25.33 %, along with exceptional stability. This work provides strong support of tailored additive strategies aimed at further enhancing the efficiency of perovskite solar cells and their subsequent commercial applications.

Temperature dependence of the electron and hole Landé g-factors in CsPbI3 nanocrystals embedded in a glass matrix

The coherent spin dynamics of electrons and holes in CsPbI3 perovskite nanocrystals in a glass matrix are studied by the time-resolved Faraday ellipticity technique in magnetic fields up to 430 mT across a temperature range from 6 K to 120 K. The Landé g-factors and spin dephasing times are evaluated from the observed Larmor precession of electron and hole spins. The nanocrystal size in the three studied samples varies from about 8 to 16 nm, resulting in exciton transition varying from 1.69 to 1.78 eV at a temperature of 6 K, allowing us to study the corresponding energy dependence of the g-factors. The electron g-factor decreases with increasing confinement energy in the NCs as a result of NC size reduction, and also with increasing temperature. The hole g-factor shows the opposite trend. Model analysis shows that the variation of g-factors with NC size arises from the transition energy dependence of the g-factors, which becomes strongly renormalized by temperature.

The Photophysics of Perovskite Emitters: from Ensemble to Single Particle

Halide perovskite emitters are a groundbreaking class of optoelectronic materials possessing remarkable photophysical properties for diverse applications. In perovskite light emitting devices, they have achieved external quantum efficiencies exceeding 28%, showcasing their potential for next-generation solid-state lighting and ultra high definition displays. Furthermore, the demonstration of room temperature continuous-wave perovskite lasing underscores their potential for integrated optoelectronics. Of late, perovskite emitters are also found to exhibit desirable single-photon emission characteristics as well as superfluorescence or superradiance phenomena for quantum optics. With progressive advances in synthesis, surface engineering, and encapsulation, halide perovskite emitters are poised to become key components in quantum optical technologies. Understanding the underpinning photophysical mechanisms is crucial for engineering these novel emergent quantum materials. This review aims to provide a condensed overview of the current state of halide perovskite emitter research covering both established and fledging applications, distill the underlying mechanisms, and offer insights into future directions for this rapidly evolving field.

Revealing the Role of Organic Ligands in Deep-Blue-Emitting Colloidal Europium Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystals

Europium halide perovskites are promising candidates for environmentally benign blue-light emitters with their narrow emission line width. However, the development of high-photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) colloidal europium halide perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) is hindered by limited synthetic methods and elusive reaction mechanisms. Here, we provide an effective synthetic route for achieving high-PLQY deep-blue-emitting colloidal CsEuBr3 PNCs. Using two Br-organic ligand precursors, oleylammonium bromide (OLAMHBr) and trioctylphosphine dibromide (TOPBr2), we identified distinct phase evolution routes involving Eu2+:CsBr, Cs4EuBr6, and CsEuBr3. The OLAMHBr precursor initially promotes the formation of the Eu2+:CsBr phase, which reorganizes into the CsEuBr3 perovskite phase via proton transfer. In contrast, the TOPBr2 precursor induces the formation of core/shell Cs4EuBr6/CsBr PNCs, which subsequently transform into CsEuBr3 through nucleophilic addition. The TOPBr2 route exhibited enhanced CsEuBr3 phase homogeneity, resulting in a significantly higher PLQY (40.5%; full width at half-maximum (fwhm) = 24 at 430 nm), compared to the OLAMHBr route (16.5% at 418 nm). Notably, the phase-pure CsEuBr3 PNCs demonstrated a world-record PLQY among the reported blue-emitting lead-free PNCs that exhibit a narrow emission line width (fwhm <25 nm). This work highlights the significant role of organic ligands in the colloidal synthesis of CsEuBr3 PNCs and their potential as nontoxic, solution-processable blue-light emitters.

In Situ Fabricated Perovskite Quantum Dots: From Materials to Applications

Due to the low formation enthalpy and high defect tolerance, in situ fabricated perovskite quantum dots offer advantages such as easy fabrication and superior optical properties. This paper reviews the methodologies, functional materials of in situ fabricated perovskite quantum dots, including polymer nanocomposites, quantum dots doped glasses, mesoporous nanocomposites, quantum dots-embedded single crystals, and electroluminescent films. This study further highlights the industrial breakthroughs of in situ fabricated perovskite quantum dots, especially the scale-up fabrication and stability enhancement. Finally, the fundamental challenges in developing perovskite quantum dots for industrial applications are discussed, with a focus on photoinduced degradation under high-intensity light irradiation, ion migration under electrical bias and thermal quenching at high temperature.

CsPbBr3-PbSe Perovskite-Chalcogenide Epitaxial Nanocrystal Heterostructures and Their Charge Carrier Dynamics

Lead halide perovskite and chalcogenide heterostructures which share the ionic and covalent interface bonding may be the possible materials in bringing phase stability to these emerging perovskite nanocrystals. However, in spite of significant successes in the development of halide perovskite nanocrystals, their epitaxial heterostructures with appropriate chalcogenide nanomaterials have largely remained unexplored. Keeping the importance of these materials in mind, herein, epitaxial nanocrystal heterostructures of CsPbBr3-PbSe are reported. The shape remained rhombic dodecahedral-tetrahedral, and the phase retained orthorhombic-cubic for CsPbBr3 and PbSe nanocrystals, respectively. These are synthesized following the standard classical approach of heteronucleations of chalcogenide PbSe with CsPbBr3 perovskite nanostructures and characterized with high-resolution electron microscopic imaging. With an ultrafast study, the hot charge transfer from CsPbBr3 to PbSe is also established. As these are first of its kind nanostructures which are obtained with heteronucleation and growth of chalcogenides on halide perovskites, this finding is expected to open the roadmap for designing other heterostructures which are important for catalysis and photovoltaic applications.

Revealing and Manipulating Hidden Fine-Structure Coherence of Bright Excitons in CsPbI3 Perovskite Quantum Dots

Observation and understanding of fine-structure splitting of bright excitons in lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) are crucial to their emerging applications in quantum light sources and exciton coherence manipulation. Recent studies demonstrate that ensemble-level polarization-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy can reveal the quantum beats arising from the coherence between two fine-structure levels. Here we report the observation of an extra fine-structure quantum coherence hidden in previous studies by using cryo-magnetic quantum beat spectroscopy. In ∼6 nm CsPbI3 QDs, two splitting energies of 0.25 and 1.20 meV were observed at 1.7 K, which gradually increased to 0.74 and 1.55 meV, respectively, when a longitudinal magnetic field up to 7 T was applied. The field dependence allowed us to extract two distinct nominal Landé g-factors corresponding to QDs with different orientations with respect to the external field.

Adjusting the Crystallization of Tin Perovskites through Thiophene Additives for Improved Photovoltaic Stability

Tin-based perovskites (Sn-PVK) are promising lead-free alternatives for efficient photovoltaic technology, but they face challenges related to bulk and surface defects due to suboptimal crystallization and Sn2+ oxidation. Introducing thiophene-2-ethylammonium halides (TEAX, where X = I, Br, Cl) improves FASnI3 crystallization and reduces Sn4+ formation. This is achieved by adjusting the crystallization dynamics through the formation of a complex between S and Sn during the preparation of the precursor solution, which also inhibits Sn2+ oxidation in the resulting films. In solar cells, these additives boost power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 6.6% (without additives) to 9.4% (using TEABr), with further enhancement to 12% by adjusting selective contacts. The addition of TEAX also increases the Sn2+ content, outperforming control. Devices with TEABr maintained over 95% of their initial PCE after 2000 h in N2 under continuous operation with 1 sun simulated illumination.

Solvent-Free in Situ Synthesis of a CsPbBr3 Nanocrystal/ZrO2 Hybrid Phosphor with Excellent Thermal Stability for White Light-Emitting Diodes

All-inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I, or mixed) nanocrystals (NCs) are emerging as promising candidates in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) owing to their excellent luminescent properties. However, CsPbX3 NCs are extremely susceptible to the elevated temperature associated with prolonged LED operation due to their low formation energy and soft ionic crystal structure. Here, CsPbBr3 NCs hybridized with ZrO2 were in situ synthesized by a rapid solvent-free method under an ambient environment for the first time, which was also suitable for large-scale production. The as-prepared CsPbBr3/ZrO2 hybrid phosphor not only presented enhanced photoluminescence (PL) properties but also exhibited improved thermal stability. For example, the PL intensity of the CsPbBr3/ZrO2 hybrid phosphor could retain 70% of the initial value at 130 °C, obviously higher than that of 34% for pure CsPbBr3. The exceptional thermal stability of the CsPbBr3/ZrO2 hybrid phosphor could be attributed to the introduction of ZrO2, which effectively preserved the initial perovskite structure of CsPbBr3 during heat treatment, as confirmed by XRD results. The as-prepared CsPbBr3/ZrO2 hybrid phosphor had great practical applications verified by the construction of white LEDs (WLEDs) with a luminance degradation of only 9% after continuous operation for 24 h at the initial luminance of 2000 cd m-2, which was significantly better than that of 63% for control WLEDs. The proposed thermally stable hybrid phosphor is expected to greatly contribute to the industrialization process of perovskites.

Structural Design of Hybrid Manganese(II) Halides for High Quantum Efficiency and Specific Response to Methanol

Manganese(II) halides have been a new generation of optoelectronic materials due to their fascinating luminescent properties, however, lacking specific solvent-responsive analogues with high quantum efficiency. Herein, we prepared three single crystals, [Pr(MIm)2][MnBr4] ([Pr(MIm)2]2+ = 1,3-di(methylimidazolium)-propane, Compound 1), [Pr(EIm)2][MnBr4] ([Pr(EIm)2]2+ = 1,3-di(ethylimidazolium)-propane, Compound 2), and [Bu(MIm)2][MnBr4] ([Bu(MIm)2]2+ = 1,4-di(methylimidazolium)-butane, Compound 3), where different Bola-type cations were chosen as organic components to separate [MnBr4]2- tetrahedrons. All three compounds emitted bright green light with excellent quantum yields of 95.3, 80.0, and 96.2%, benefiting from the large Mn···Mn distance. More interestingly, Compound 3 showed a highly selective response to methanol in a series of tested organic solvents, with a rapid and reversible change in emission color from green to red. The single crystal of [Bu(MIm)2][MnBr4]·CH3OH with red emission proved that the luminescence switching was attributed to the adsorption of CH3OH molecules into the lattice space in the form of the O-H···Br hydrogen bonds. To our knowledge, for tetrahedrally coordinated Mn(II) species, the reversible emission color switching between green and red triggered by a solvent without the change of coordination number is achieved for the first time, providing promising applications for the specific detection of methanol.

Well-Dispersed CsPbBr3@TiO2 Heterostructure Nanocrystals from Asymmetric to Symmetric

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have undergone rapid development in the fields of solar cells, light diodes, lasing, photodetectors, etc. However, the MHPs still face significant challenges, such as poor stability and heterocompositing with other functional materials at the single nanoparticle level. Herein, the successful synthesis of well-dispersed CsPbBr3@TiO2 heterostructure nanocrystals (NCs) is reported, in which each heterostructure NC has only one CsPbBr3 with a precise anatase TiO2 coating ranging from asymmetric to symmetric. Due to the protection of anatase TiO2, CsPbBr3 shows dramatically improved chemical stability and photostability. More significantly, the synthesized CsPbBr3@TiO2 heterostructure NCs form a type II heterojunction, which strongly promoted efficient photogenerated carrier separation between anatase TiO2 and CsPbBr3, hence leading to improved optoelectronic activity. This study provides a robust avenue for synthesizing stable and highly efficient MHPs@metal oxide heterostructure NCs, paving the way for the practical application of all inorganic perovskites.

Highly Stable CsPbBr3@MoS2 Nanostructures: Synthesis and Optoelectronic Properties Toward Implementation into Solar Cells

Halide perovskites (HPs) have gained significant interest in the scientific and technological sectors due to their unique optical, catalytic, and electrical characteristics. However, the HPs are prone to decomposition when exposed to air, oxygen, or heat. The instability of HP materials limits their commercialization, prompting significant efforts to address and overcome these limitations. Transition metal dichalcogenides, such as MoS2, are chemically stable and are suitable for electronic, optical, and catalytic applications. Moreover, it can be used as a protective media or shell for other nanoparticles. In this study, a novel CsPbBr3@MoS2 core-shell nanostructure (CS-NS) is successfully synthesized by enveloping CsPbBr3 within a MoS2 shell for the first time. Significant stability of CS-NSs dispersed in polar solvents for extended periods is also demonstrated. Remarkably, the hybrid CS-NS exhibits an absorption of MoS2 and quenching of the HP's photoluminescence, implying potential charge or energy transfer from HPs to MoS2. Using finite difference time domain simulations, it is found that the CS-NSs can be utilized to produce efficient solar cells. The addition of a MoS2 shell enhances the performance of CS-NS-based solar cells by 220% compared to their CsPbBr3 counterparts. The innovative CS-NS represents important progress in harnessing HPs for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.

Dual-Site Molecular Dipole Enables Tunable Interfacial Field Toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

The interfacial management in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), including mitigating the carrier transport barrier and suppressing non-radiative recombination, still remains a significant challenge for efficiency and stability enhancement. Herein, by screening a family of fluorine (F) terminated dual-site organic dipole molecules, the study aims to gain insight into the molecular dipole array toward tunable interfacial field. Both experimental and theoretical results reveal that these functional interfacial dipole molecules can effectively anchor on perovskite surface through Lewis acid-base interaction. In addition, the tailored side-chain with terminated F atoms allows for altering and constructing a well matched perovskite/Spiro-OMeTAD interfacial contact. As a result, the inserting dual-site organic dipole array effectively modulates the interface to deliver a gradient energy level alignment, facilitating carrier extraction and transport. The optimal dual-site dipole trifluoro-methanesulfonamide mediated N-i-P PSCs achieve the highest efficiency of 25.47%, together with enhanced operational stability under 1000 h of the simulated 1-sun illumination exposure. These findings are believed to provide insight into the design of dual-site molecular dipole with sufficient interfacial tunability for perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.

Deciphering Surface Ligand Density of Colloidal Semiconductor Nanocrystals: Shape Matters

Surface chemistry of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) is of paramount importance because it profoundly impacts their physical and chemical properties, processing, and performance. Herein, we report the effect of the shape of ZnS NCs in terms of nanodots, nanorods, and nanoplatelets (NPL) on the surface ligand density (LD) of the commonly used oleylamine (OLA) ligand by combining three experimental quantification techniques (e.g., thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry) with the semiempirical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Consistent results on the surface LD derived by the aforementioned three independent techniques were obtained, presenting an ascending order of LDdots < LDrods < LDNPLs. MD simulations reveal that the highest LD for ZnS NPLs can be attributed to their extremely flat and uniform surfaces with regular distribution of surface Zn atoms for the OLA molecules to achieve parallel and tight stacking, while for ZnS nanodots and nanorods, their surfaces may have staggered arrangement and multisteps, making it unlikely for the OLA ligand to adopt the tight ligand stacking mode. The finding revealed in this work not only sheds light on the constitution of the molecule ligand shell of NCs, which is helpful for their rational morphology control, but also provides an additional and important knob for tuning their chemical functionality.