Synergistic Ligand Engineering for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Quantum Dots in Acrylic Photoresist Films

Perovskite quantum dots exhibit severe quenching in conventional acrylate-based photoresists during the photolithographic film formation process, drastically reducing their photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and limiting their practical application. Herein, we report a facile ligand engineering strategy using mono-2-(methacryloyloxy)­ethyl succinate (MMES) and didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) as functional ligands to stabilize CsPbBr3 QD solutions. MMES offers a methacrylate group for covalent integration into the acrylate matrix and a carboxyl group for surface defect passivation, while DDAB provides long alkyl chains to enhance colloidal dispersion and Br– ions to heal surface vacancies. This approach mitigates polar solvent-induced quenching, yielding CsPbBr3 QDs in toluene with a PLQY of 92%. The QDs maintain nanoscale dispersion in isobornyl acrylate and form stable photolithographic films exhibiting a high PLQY of 81%, along with significantly enhanced stability against ultraviolet irradiation, water, and high-temperature blue irradiation. Similarly, red-emitting CsPbI3 films achieved a PLQY of 63% with an enhanced stability. Finally, the CsPbBr3 and CsPbI3 films were patterned via photolithography into dot arrays with a feature size of ∼5 μm. Thus, the prototype display, integrated with a blue LED, achieved a color gamut of 130% NTSC, demonstrating significant potential for next-generation displays.