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Thermodynamically guided kilogram-scale precipitation of copper iodide clusters for efficient solution-processed
Yizhao Qing1, Bing Han1, Runnan Yu1
1State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
Science Advances
|May 13, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a new molecular design strategy for heavy metal-free copper halide clusters, enabling scalable synthesis and solution processability for cost-effective electroluminescent devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Chemistry
- Photochemistry
Background:
- Copper halide clusters are promising heavy metal-free electroluminescent materials.
- Scalable synthesis and solution processability are key challenges for practical applications.
- Existing methods face a trade-off between synthesis scalability and processability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design a universal thermodynamically motivated molecular design strategy for copper halide clusters.
- To overcome the limitations of scalable synthesis and solution processability.
- To enable cost-effective and practical application of copper halide electroluminescent materials.
Main Methods:
- Designed an alkyl-free aromatic ligand, diphenyl-2-pyridylphosphine (Ph2PPy).
- Utilized a thermodynamically motivated molecular design strategy.
- Employed kinetically controlled hot solution process for film formation.
Main Results:
- Achieved kilogram-scale synthesis with near-unity yield, high reproducibility, and purity.
- Developed tunable solubility allowing scalable precipitation and solution processability.
- Obtained uniform crystalline films with 85.49% photoluminescence quantum yield.
- Fabricated doping-free, solution-processed copper halide electroluminescent devices with record 21.08% external quantum efficiency and 66,388 cd/m² luminance.
Conclusions:
- The developed molecular design strategy successfully reconciles scalable synthesis and solution processability.
- This approach paves the way for cost-effective, high-performance light-emitting technologies.
- The strategy is applicable to other alkyl-free precursors for broader material development.
