Synthesis of monodisperse water-stable surface Pb-rich CsPbCl3nanocrystals for efficient photocatalytic CO2reduction

Surface Pb-rich lead halide (CsPbCl3) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) with high stability and monodispersity in water have been synthesized using a general and convenient liquid-solid interpenetration (LSI) method. In this process, water molecules permeate into the solid CsPbCl3NC layers and slowly dissolve the Cs(+)and Cl(-)ions on the surface of CsPbCl3NCs. The Cs(+)and Cl(-)ions in water inhibit the decomposition rate of CsPbCl3NCs, inducing surface Pb-rich layers. The surface Pb-rich structure increases the photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes and improves the photocatalytic performances of lead halide perovskite NCs. Under simulated solar irradiation, the largest rate of CO(2)photoreduction from surface Pb-rich Ni-doped CsPbCl3NCs reaches up to 169.37 mu mol g(-1)h(-1). This study provides an effective general strategy to design stable lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) for their wide applications.