LEAPS-MPS: Achieving Single Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystal Growth on a Soft Liquid/Liquid Interface

In this project, managed by the Chemistry Division and jointly funded by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), Professor Yitong Dong and his students at the University of Oklahoma (OU) will study lead halide perovskite nanocrystal growth at the single-particle level to advance the development of low-cost single photon emitters (SPEs). SPEs that emit photons on demand are necessary to build future quantum photonic networks that ensure secure quantum communications. This project will enable accurate spectroscopy measurements of individual perovskite nanocrystals without interferences from post-synthesis nanocrystal degradations. Furthermore, the findings will advance the understanding of the growth mechanism of colloidal perovskite nanocrystals. The project will integrate new material synthesis approaches into different research programs and centers at OU. Professor Dong will also create opportunities to engage undergraduate students through the project and encourage the participation of prospective students through a series of outreach programs. Professor Dong and his students will create a nano-sized liquid/liquid (L/L) interface confined to the tip of a nanopipette for nanocrystal growth. The diffusion and delivery of crystal precursors will be regulated by tuning their electrochemical potentials. The nanocrystal nucleation and growth kinetics are expected to be tunable by controlling the dimensions of the nanopipette tip and the electrochemical biases applied across the L/L interface. They will also use a confocal fluorescence microscope to monitor the photoluminescence spectra of nanocrystals during their growth and photon correlation measurements to assess the number of nanocrystals generated on the L/L interface. These efforts will achieve single lead halide perovskite nanocrystal growth. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.