Simultaneous Photoluminescence and Photothermal Investigation of Individual CH3NH3PbBr3 Microcrystals

The photoluminescence (PL) of CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3), from thin films to nanoparticles, has been widely studied, providing information about charge carrier dynamics. However, the other energy dissipative channel, nonradiative relaxation, has not been thoroughly investigated due to a lack of proper technology. In this work, we simultaneously investigated the PL and photothermal (PT) properties of single MAPbBr3 microcrystals (MCs) by a home-built PL and PT microscope. In addition to the direct observation of the heterogeneity of the PL and PT images and kinetics of different MCs, we demonstrated the variation in the absorption of single MAPbBr3 MCs, which was believed to be constant. We also proved that more absorbed energy dissipated from the nonradiative channel at higher heating power. These results show that PL and PT microscopy is an effective and convenient method to investigate the charge carrier behaviors of optoelectronic materials at the single particle level for a deep understanding of their photophysical processes.

Automated summary

The photoluminescence (PL) and photothermal (PT) properties of CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3) microcrystals (MCs) were simultaneously investigated using a home-built PL and PT microscope. The heterogeneity of PL and PT images and kinetics of different MCs were observed, and the variation in the absorption and dissipation of energy from the nonradiative channel was demonstrated. This study provides insights into the charge carrier behaviors of optoelectronic materials at the single particle level.