Engineering Supramolecular Metal-Organic Frameworks for Stable and Efficient Perovskite Quantum Dots by Defect Passivation and Heterostructure Construction.

Xu, Tiantian; Li, Hui; Yang, Fei; Niu, Xinyue; Ji, Yali; Liu, Wei; Jia, Xinyue; Zhang, Zhe et al. · ACS Nano · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Inorganic lead halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) feature exceptional optoelectronic properties but suffer from poor stability, limiting their commercial viability. This study employs a mechanochemical synthesis route utilizing shared cesium ion to synthesize CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> PQDs within supramolecular γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (γ-CD-MOFs). The resulting CsPbBr<sub>3</sub>@γ-CD-MOFs achieves high photoluminescence quantum yield (73%) alongside exceptional thermal, photochemical, and environmental stabilities. Mechanistic investigations reveal synergistic augmentation effects: multianchored defect passivation via γ-CD hydroxyl groups, enhanced radiative recombination through type-I heterojunction-driven directional carrier injection, and suppression of ion migration and phase separation by MOFs' physical barriers and interfacial chemical bonds. The composite was successfully applied in white light-emitting diodes, boasting color rendering index of 90.1 and color gamut coverage of 115%. Furthermore, benefiting from the good biocompatibility imparted by γ-CD-MOFs, the composite serves as fluorescent probe for specific labeling and imaging of lysosomes in living cells. This supramolecular-MOFs strategy provides design principles for developing stable, efficient, and biologically compatible PQDs, accelerating their optoelectronic and bioimaging applications.