Nano-Confined Growth of Perovskite Quantum Dots in Transparent Nanoporous Glass for Luminescent Chemical Sensing

Prior nano-confined matrices for perovskite quantum dots (QDs) dealt only with powders or thin films, which usually suffer from poor handling properties and high transparency limitations for integrating into optical devices. Here, the nano-confined growth of perovskite QDs in an optically transparent, robust, and monolithic matrix by using nanoporous glass (NG) as a nano-reactor is demonstrated. Owing to quantum confinement effects in the inherent nanoporous network, rapid nanoconfined low-temperature solution-processed perovskite QDs could synthesize spontaneously. The binding energy of CsPbBr3 QDs in NG has been enhanced to approximate to 177.2 meV due to the confinement effect. The nano-channels enable the tunable mono/multi-color emission in full visible range via pore size tailoring or post-halide exchange. Considering the fast diffusion of nanoporous channels and enhanced stability in this processable monolithic composite, a rapid-response and reusable red-green switching light-emitting diode (LED) sensor for halomethanes is demonstrated. The rational design of perovskite NG via this efficient nano-confined route results in a new optoelectronic device-relevant material platform.