Chelating-agent-assisted control of CsPbBr3 quantum well growth enables stable blue perovskite emitters

Abstract

Metal halide perovskites have emerged as promising candidates for solution-processed blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, halide phase segregation – and the resultant spectral shift – at LED operating voltages hinders their application. Here we report true-blue LEDs employing quasi-two-dimensional cesium lead bromide with a narrow size distribution of quantum wells, achieved through the incorporation of a chelating additive. Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy measurements reveal that the chelating agent helps to control the quantum well thickness distribution. Density functional theory calculations show that the chelating molecule destabilizes the lead species on the quantum well surface and that this in turn suppresses the growth of thicker quantum wells. Treatment with γ-aminobutyric acid passivates electronic traps and enables films to withstand 100 °C for 24 h without changes to their emission spectrum. LEDs incorporating γ-aminobutyric acid-treated perovskites exhibit blue emission with Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage coordinates of (0.12, 0.14) at an external quantum efficiency of 6.3%.