Self-Assembly of CsPbBr3 Perovskites in Micropatterned Polymeric Surfaces: Toward Luminescent Materials with Self-Cleaning Properties

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 14; no. 17; pp. 20023 - 20031
• Main Authors: S. de León, Alberto, de la Mata, María, Sanchez-Alarcon, Ivan R, Abargues, Rafael, Molina, Sergio I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 04.05.2022
• Subjects: Applications of Polymer, Composite, and Coating Materials; photoluminescence; micropatterning; breath figures; metal halide perovskites; self-cleaning surfaces
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c01567

In this work, we present a series of porous, honeycomb-patterned polymer films containing CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals as light emitters prepared by the breath figure approach. Microscopy analysis of the topography and composition of the material evidence that the CsPbBr3 nanocrystals are homogeneously distributed within the polymer matrix but preferably confined inside the pores due to the fabrication process. The optical properties of the CsPbBr3 nanocrystals remain unaltered after the film formation, proving that they are stable inside the polystyrene matrix, which protects them from degradation by environmental factors. Moreover, these surfaces present highly hydrophobic behavior due to their high porosity and defined micropatterning, which is in agreement with the Cassie–Baxter model. This is evidenced by performing a proof-of-concept coating on top of 3D-printed LED lenses, conferring the material with self-cleaning properties, while the CsPbBr3 nanocrystals embedded inside the polymeric matrix maintain their luminescent behavior.