A polymer controlled nucleation route towards the generalized growth of organic-inorganic perovskite single crystals

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Crystallography
• Solid-State Chemistry

Background:

• Organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites (OIHPs) show promise for optoelectronic applications.
• Efficient and generalized growth of high-quality single crystals remains a significant challenge due to complex nucleation and solvent requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel polymer-controlled nucleation process for efficient growth of large-size, high-quality perovskite single crystals.
• To investigate the underlying mechanism of polymer-mediated nucleation control.

Main Methods:

• A polymer-controlled nucleation strategy was employed for synthesizing ternary, mixed-cation, and mixed-halide perovskite single crystals.
• The interaction between polymer functional groups and Pb2+ ions was analyzed to understand nucleation control.
• Carrier lifetime measurements were performed on synthesized single crystals.

Main Results:

• Large-size, high-quality perovskite single crystals (ternary, mixed-cation, mixed-halide) were successfully grown using the polymer-controlled method.
• A significant improvement in carrier lifetime was observed for FAPbBr3 single crystals, reaching 10199 ns.
• Nuclei concentrations were reduced by up to four orders of magnitude due to polymer-Pb2+ interaction.

Conclusions:

• The polymer-controlled nucleation process offers an efficient and generalized route for growing high-quality OIHPs single crystals.
• The coordinative interaction between polymer oxygen groups and Pb2+ is crucial for reducing nucleation density.
• This method holds potential for optimizing solution-based crystal growth and advancing perovskite applications.