Zwitterionic Block Copolymers for the Synthesis and Stabilization of Perovskite Nanocrystals

Abstract Traditional hot injection methods for the preparation of cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (CsPbX 3 PNCs, where X=Cl, Br, or I) rely on small molecule surfactants to produce PNCs with cube, plate, or rod‐like morphologies. Here, we describe a new method whereby zwitterionic block copolymers are employed as macromolecular ligands in PNC synthesis, affording PNCs with excellent colloidal stability, high photoluminescence quantum yield, and in some cases distinctly non‐cubic shapes. The block copolymers used in this study – composed of a poly( n ‐butyl methacrylate) hydrophobic block and zwitterionic methacrylate hydrophilic blocks – dissolve in useful solvents for PNC growth despite containing large mole percentages of zwitterionic groups. PNCs prepared with block copolymer ligands were found to disperse and retain their fluorescence in a range of polar organic solvents and were amenable to direct integration into optically transparent nanocomposite thin films with high PNC content.