Reverse Micelle Templating Route to Ordered Monodispersed Spherical Organo-Lead Halide Perovskite Nanoparticles for Light Emission

Hybrid organic–inorganic halide perovskites have emerged as a disruptive technology in a number of fields, and recently, there has been increased interest in developing nanostructured perovskite materials, due to their extremely high photoluminescence quantum yields, optical absorption, and tolerance for defects. In this study, we report on the development of a facile room temperature synthesis method for high density monodispersed metal–organic halide perovskite nanoparticles using a diblock copolymer reverse micelle deposition (RMD) method. Compared to traditional ligated methods, we show that diblock copolymer micelle templating allows greater control over the size distribution due to controlled nucleation and crystal growth. By separating the precursor solvation and reaction steps through micelle templating, we show that micelle templating is a universal, atmospheric approach to producing a variety of perovskite nanoparticles, including methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3), methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3), and formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) at room temperature. Additionally, using micellar nanoreactors rather than dynamically stabilizing ligands allows the formation of monodisperse spherical 0D nanoparticles rather than nanoplatelets or nanorods, as is common with most approaches. Knowledge of the synthesis behavior of a facile versatile approach for monodisperse nanoparticles with narrow band emission will open up new avenues for the development of nanoparticle based applications as integral parts of next-generation displays and optoelectronic devices.