Nucleation-mediated growth of chiral 3D organic–inorganic perovskite single crystals

Although their zero- to two-dimensional counterparts are well known, three-dimensional chiral hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite single crystals have remained difficult because they contain no chiral components and their crystal phases belong to centrosymmetric achiral point groups. Here we report a general approach to grow single-crystalline 3D lead halide perovskites with chiroptical activity. Taking MAPbBr 3 (MA, methylammonium) perovskite as a representative example, whereas achiral MAPbBr 3 crystallized from precursors in solution by inverse temperature crystallization method, the addition of micro- or nanoparticles as nucleating agents promoted the formation of chiral crystals under a near equilibrium state. Experimental characterization supported by calculations showed that the chirality of the 3D APbX 3 (where A is an ammonium ion and X is Cl, Br or mixed Cl–Br or Br–I) perovskites arises from chiral patterns of the A-site cations and their interaction with the [PbX 6 ] 4− octahedra in the perovskite structure. The chiral structure obeys the lowest-energy principle and thereby thermodynamically stable. The chiral 3D hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites served in a circularly polarized light photodetector prototype successfully.