Mn2+-doping into CsPbBr3 Perovskite Supercrystals: Enhancing Morphology and Substrate Variation

The self-assembly of metal halide perovskite nanocrystals into micrometer-sized supercrystals with high structural order as influenced by the surface chemistry and particle morphology of the starting building blocks is of interest. In this work, we investigate the effects of Mn²⁺-doping on CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals and their self-assembly into supercrystals. Mn²⁺-incorporation is found to improve the photoluminescence properties of both nanocrystals and supercrystals, resulting in higher photoluminescence quantum yields and longer radiative lifetimes compared to undoped counterparts. Structural analysis using powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy confirms that Mn²⁺-doping does not hinder the self-assembly of highly ordered, predominantly cubic supercrystals, but leads to one dimensional morphologies as dictated by the effect of increasing Mn2+ molar ratio incorporated during nanocrystal synthesis. Notably, we observe a breakdown of three dimensional supercrystal formation, driven by changes in constituent nanocrystal size distribution controlled by Mn²⁺ addition, contrasting with previous studies where capping ligand density was the driving factor in these morphological changes. Furthermore, we show though time-resolved powder X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, that the self-assembly of metal halide perovskite supercrystals occurs early in the slow solvent evaporation process, and superstructures can be formed on a variety of substrates, extending the applications of these materials.