Organo Metal Halide Perovskites Effective Ly Photosensitize the Production of Singlet Oxygen (1Δg)

Metal halide perovskite (MHP) materials are under extensive examination for various high performance optoelectronic applications, but their photosensitizing utilization for singlet oxygen generation has not been explored. Based on the observed characteristic NIR phosphorescence of singlet oxygen and the photosensitized decomposition of a specific singlet oxygen chemical trapper (diphenylisobenzofuran), we show herby that MAPbBr₃ quantum dots can significantly generate singlet oxygen with the quantum yield up to 0.34, which is the highest among nano semiconductor and nano metal material types of singlet oxygen photosensitizers. Further more, MAPbBr₃ quantum dots show good stability towards singlet oxygen. The mechanism of MHP as a singlet oxygen photosensitizer is also suggested to be due to triplet excitons. This finding expands new applications of MHPs in PDT, antiviral and antibacterial treatments, and pharmaceutical industry.