A Highly Red-Emissive Lead-Free Indium-Based Perovskite Single Crystal for Sensitive Water Detection

Low-dimensional luminescent lead halide perovskites have attracted tremendous attention for their fascinating optoelectronic properties, while the toxicity of lead is still considered a drawback. Herein, we report a novel lead-free zero-dimensional (0D) indium-based perovskite (Cs2InBr5 center dot H2O) single crystal that is red-luminescent with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 33 %. Experimental and computational studies reveal that the strong PL emission might originate from self-trapping excitons (STEs) that result from an excited-state structural deformation. More importantly, the in situ transformation between hydrated Cs2InBr5 center dot H2O and the dehydrated form is accompanied with a switchable dual emission, which enables it to act as a PL water-sensor in humidity detection or the detection of traces of water in organic solvents.