Controlling Photoluminescence and Photocatalysis Activities in Lead-Free Cs2PtxSn1-xCl6 Perovskites via Ion Substitution

Lead-free halide perovskites have triggered interest in the field of optoelectronics and photocatalysis because of their low toxicity, and tunable optical and charge-carrier properties. From an application point of view, it is desirable to develop stable multifunctional lead-free halide perovskites. We have developed a series of Cs2PtxSn1-xCl6 perovskites (0 <= x <= 1) with high stability, which show switchable photoluminescence and photocatalytic functions by varying the amount of Pt4+ substitution. A Cs2PtxSn1-xCl6 solid solution with a dominant proportion of Pt4+ shows broadband photoluminescence with a lifetime on the microsecond timescale. A Cs2PtxSn1-xCl6 solid solution with a small amount of Pt4+ substitution exhibits photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. An optical spectroscopy study reveals that the switch between photoluminescence and photocatalysis functions is controlled by sub-band gap states. Our finding provides a new way to develop lead-free multifunctional halide perovskites with high stability.