Controlled Synthesis of Lead-Free Cesium Tin Halide Perovskite Cubic Nanocages with High Stability

Hollow nanocrystals have attracted considerable attention in many areas of materials science because of their unique geometry, large surface area, high loading capacity and low density, and potential applications in catalysis, energy storage, drug delivery, and molecular separation. So far, numerous hollow nanostructured materials, such as noble metals, metallic oxides, hydroxides, and chalcogenides, have been reported. However, there is no report about the hollow metal halide perovskite nanocrystals yet. Herein, for the first time, we report the controlled synthesis of metal halide perovskite hollow nanocrystals, i.e., CsSnBr3 cubic nanocages, through a facile hot-injection colloidal approach. The formation of nanocages was controlled by rationally choosing the precursors and reaction temperature and was achieved through the self-assembly driven process. The as-synthesized CsSnBr3 nanocages exhibit excellent oxygen resistibility under desiccation conditions. Furthermore, treatment of CsSnBr3 nanocages with perfluorooctanoic acid results in an improved stability against moisture, oxygen, and light. This work represents a step toward hollow nanocrystals of metal halide perovskites for optical, electronic, and optoelectronic applications.