Highly Efficient and Environmentally Stable Flexible Color Converters Based on Confined CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ Nanocrystals

In this work, we demonstrate a synthetic route to attain methylammonium lead bromide (CH₃NH₃PbBr₃) perovskite nanocrystals (nc-MAPbBr₃, 1.5 nm < size < 3 nm) and provide them with functionality as highly efficient flexible, transparent, environmentally stable, and adaptable color-converting films. We use nanoparticle metal oxide (MOx) thin films as porous scaffolds of controlled nanopores size distribution to synthesize nc-MAPbBr₃ through the infiltration of perovskite liquid precursors. We find that the control over the reaction volume imposed by the nanoporous scaffold gives rise to a strict control of the nanocrystal size, which allows us to observe well-defined quantum confinement effects on the photo-emission, being the luminescence maximum tunable with precision between λ = 530 nm (green) and λ = 490 nm (blue). This hybrid nc-MAPbBr₃/MOx structure presents high mechanical stability and permits subsequent infiltration with an elastomer to achieve a self-standing flexible film, which not only maintains the photo-emission efficiency of the nc-MAPbBr₃ unaltered but also prevents their environmental degradation. Applications as adaptable color-converting layers for light-emitting devices are envisaged and demonstrated.