High Photoluminescence Quantum Yields in Organic Semiconductor-Perovskite Composite Thin Films

One of the obstacles towards efficient radiative recombination in hybrid perovskites is a low exciton binding energy, typically in the orders of tens of meV. It has been shown that the use of electron-donor additives can lead to a substantial reduction of the non-radiative recombination in perovskite films. Herein, the approach using small molecules with semiconducting properties, which are candidates to be implemented in future optoelectronic devices, is presented. In particular, highly luminescent perovskite-organic semiconductor composite thin films have been developed, which can be processed from solution in a simple coating step. By tuning the relative concentration of methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr(3)) and 9,9-spirobifluoren-2-yl-diphenyl-phosphine oxide (SPPO1), it is possible to achieve photoluminescent quantum yields (PLQYs) as high as 85%. This is attributed to the dual functions of SPPO1 that limit the grain growth while passivating the perovskite surface. The electroluminescence of these materials was investigated by fabricating multilayer LEDs, where charge injection and transport was found to be severely hindered for the perovskite/SPPO1 material. This was alleviated by partially substituting SPPO1 with a hole-transporting material, 1,3-bis(N-carbazolyl) benzene (mCP), leading to bright electroluminescence. The potential of combining perovskite and organic semiconductors to prepare materials with improved properties opens new avenues for the preparation of simple light-emitting devices using perovskites as the emitter.