Ultralong Compositional Gradient Perovskite Nanowires Fabricated by Source-Limiting Anion Exchange

Anion exchange in halide perovskites offers prospective approaches to band gap engineering for miniaturized and integrated optoelectronic devices. However, the band engineering at the nanoscale is uncontrollable due to the rapid and random exchange nature in the liquid or gas phase. Here, we report a source-limiting mechanism in solid-state anion exchange between low-dimensional perovskites, which readily gives access to ultralong compositional gradient nanowires (NWs) with lengths of up to 100 μm. The exchanged NWs remain single-crystalline with intact morphology, while the halogen content exhibits an apparent gradient distribution, leading to a tapered energy band profile along a NW. In the dynamic study of anion behavior, it is shown that the spatial stoichiometric composition can be precisely tuned following Fick’s law of diffusion. In addition, self-powered, spectrally resolved photodetectors incorporating multiple detection units within a single gradient NW are demonstrated. This work provides a feasible strategy for the realization of perovskite-based ultracompact optoelectronics, imaging sensors, and other miniaturized semiconductor devices.