Defect Tolerance Mechanism Revealed! Influence of Polaron Occupied Surface Trap States on CsPbBr3 Nanocrystal Photoluminescence: Ab Initio Excited-State Dynamics

Lead halide perovskite (LHP) nanocrystals (NCs) show exceptional defect tolerance which has been attributed to their unique electronic structure, where defect energy levels are not introduced inside the fundamental bandgap, and the role of polarons in screening charge carriers from defects. Here, we use ab initio atomistic simulations to explore the interplay between various surface chemistries (A = Cs+, R'NH3+; X = Br-, RCOO-) used to passivate a CsPbBr3 NC surface and their impact on the ground-state (GS) and excited-state (ES) photophysical properties. We investigate pristine fully passivated surfaces and A-X vacancy defects that reflect chemical reactions A(+) + X- -> AX on the surface, which result in ligand desorption. For each surface configuration, calculations are performed in the GS and lowest ES (L-ES) electronic configurations, approximating polaron formation after photoexcitation. For models with A-X surface vacancies, we find that localized electron surface trap (ST) states emerge similar to 100-400 meV below the pristine S-e band in the L-ES configuration due to polaronic nuclear reorganization. Surprisingly, these trap states contribute relatively bright S-h -> ST spectral features. To test if these surface trap states remain bright in a dynamic (thermal) situation we implement excited-state molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the surface defected model shows an enhanced nonradiative recombination rate which reduces the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) from 95% for the pristine surface to 75%. This is accompanied by an order of magnitude reduction in PL intensity and a red shift of the transition energy. This study provides more evidence of the defect tolerance of LHP NCs along with evidence of surface trap states contributing to efficient photoluminescence. The observation of relatively bright surface trap states could provide insight into photophysical phenomena, such as size-dependent stretched-exponential photoluminescence decay and Stokes shifts.

Automated summary

Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals exhibit exceptional defect tolerance attributed to their unique electronic structure. Surface trap states with A-X vacancies contribute to efficient photoluminescence, although they show enhanced nonradiative recombination rates, reducing photoluminescence quantum yield.