High Layer Number (n=1-6) 2D Ruddlesden-Popper Lead Bromide Perovskites: Nanosheets, Crystal Structure, and Optoelectronic Properties

2D Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) lead halide perovskites have highly tunable structures, compositions, and properties that enable their promising optoelectronic applications. Among various 2D halide perovskites, the materials chemistry and fundamental optoelectronic properties of high layer number (n) lead-bromide RP perovskites, where n refers to the number of inorganic octahedra layers, have been less studied. Here, we report the synthesis of thin nanosheets of (PEA)(2)Csn-1PbnBr3n+1 (n = 1-6, PEA = phenylethylammonium) perovskites and study the optical properties, assigning photoluminescence emissions of 486, 496, and 505 nm to n = 4-6 phases, respectively, and reporting the photoluminescence lifetimes. The crystal structure of (PEA)(2)Cs2Pb3Br10 was determined to reveal minimal octahedral structural distortions. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveal the positioning of the valence and conduction bands for n = 1-3 phases and confirm the type-I band alignment for the (PEA)(2)Csn-1PbnBr3n+1 series, laying the foundation for rational heterostructure device design in the future.

Automated summary

2D Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) lead halide perovskites have highly tunable structures, compositions, and properties, with the synthesis and optical properties study of (PEA)(2)Csn-1PbnBr3n+1 (n = 1-6) perovskites reported, showing potential for rational heterostructure device design in the future.