Prof Henry Snaith FRS

Abstract:

Metal halide perovskites are promising candidates for use in light emitting diodes (LEDs), due to their potential for colour tuneable and high luminescence efficiency. While recent advances in perovskite-based light emitting diodes have resulted in external quantum efficiencies exceeding 12.4 % for the green emitters, and infrared emitters based on 3D/2D mixed dimensional perovskites have exceeded 20%, the external quantum efficiencies of the red and blue emitters still lag behind. A critical issue to date is creating highly emissive and stable perovskite emitters with the desirable emission band gap to achieve full-colour displays and white LEDs. Herein, we report the preparation and characterization of a highly luminescent and stable suspension of cubic-shaped methylammonium lead triiodide CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite nanocrystals, where we synthesise the nanocrystals via a ligand-assisted re-precipitation technique, using an acetonitrile/methylamine compound solvent system to solvate the ions, and toluene as the anti-solvent to induce crystallisation. Through tuning the ratio of the ligands, the ligand to toluene ratio, and the temperature of the toluene, we obtain a solution of CH3NH3PbI3 nanocrystals with a photoluminescence quantum yield exceeding 93%, and tuneable emission between 660 nm and 705 nm. We also achieved red emission at 635 nm by blending the nanocrystals with bromide salt and obtained perovskite-based light emitting diodes with maximum electroluminescent external quantum efficiency of 2.75%.