Enhanced Stabilities and Production Yields of MAPbBr(3) Quantum Dots and Their Applications as Stretchable and Self-Healable Color Filters

Organic-inorganic hybrid CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr(3)) perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) are considered as promising and cost-effective building blocks for various optoelectronic devices. However, during centrifugation for the purification of these PQDs, commonly used polar protic and aprotic non-solvents (e.g., methanol and acetone) can destroy the nanocrystal structure of MAPbBr, perovskites, which will significantly reduce the production yields and degrade the optical properties of the PQDs. This study demonstrates the use of methyl acetate (MeOAc) as an effective non-solvent for purifying as-synthesized MAPbBr(3) PQDs without causing severe damage, which facilitates attainment of stable PQD solutions with high production yields. The MeOAc-washed MAPbBr(3) PQDs maintain their high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yields and crystalline structures for long periods in solution states. MeOAc undergoes a hydrolysis reaction in the presence of the PQDs, and the resulting acetate anions partially replace the original surface ligands without damaging the PQD cores. Time-resolved PL analysis reveals that the MeOAc-washed PQDs show suppressed non-radiative recombination and a longer PL lifetime than acetone-washed and methanol-washed PQDs. Finally, it is demonstrated that a composite of the MAPbBr(3) PQDs and a thermoplastic elastomer (polystyrene-block-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene) is feasible as a stretchable and self-healable green color filter for a white light-emitting diode device.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the use of methyl acetate (MeOAc) as an effective non-solvent for purifying MAPbBr3 PQDs without causing severe damage, facilitating stable PQDs solutions with high production yields. MeOAc-washed PQDs maintain high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yields and crystalline structures for long periods. Time-resolved PL analysis shows that MeOAc-washed PQDs exhibit suppressed non-radiative recombination and longer PL lifetime compared to acetone-washed and methanol-washed PQDs.