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Abstract Instability of colloidal iodine‐based inorganic perovskite CsPbX3(X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals (IPNCs) represents a major obstacle in lead‐halide IPNC research and application. Herein, a ligand‐anchoring process is reported that enables significantly improved colloidal stability of the iodine‐based IPNCs for over 10 months in ambient. Apart from the previous efforts in searching for strong binding ligands to cap the IPNCs to incrementally reduce the exposure of the IPNC surface to the harsh colloidal environment, the ligand‐anchoring method demonstrates that such an exposure can be reduced substantially by suppressing the dynamic ligand exchange around the colloidal IPNCs. In the IPNC synthesis solution with common oleic acid (OA) and oleylamine (OLA) ligands with relative weak binding to IPNCs, a systematic reduction of the ligand concentration using hexane by an order of magnitude has shown to be effective in achieving OA/OLA ligand‐anchored iodine‐based IPNCs with superior stability as confirmed in optical absorption, photoluminescence,1H solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and photoresponse. This result has revealed that the intermittent exposure of the IPNC surface during the dynamic ligand exchange is a primary mechanism underlying the colloidal IPNC instability, which can be resolved in the ligand‐anchoring process by suppressing such dynamic activities.
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Slowly Removing Surface Ligand by Aging Enhances the Stability of Pd Nanosheets toward Electron Beam Irradiation and Electrocatalysis
Abstract Surface ligands play an important role in shape‐controlled growth and stabilization of colloidal nanocrystals. Their quick removal tends to cause structural deformation and/or aggregation to the nanocrystals. Herein, we demonstrate that the surface ligand based on poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) can be slowly removed from Pd nanosheets (NSs, 0.93±0.17 nm in thickness) by simply aging the colloidal suspension. The aged Pd NSs show well‐preserved morphology, together with significantly enhanced stability toward both e‐beam irradiation and electrocatalysis (e.g., ethanol oxidation). It is revealed that the slow desorption of PVP during aging forces the re‐exposed Pd atoms to reorganize, facilitating the surface to transform from being nearly perfect to defect‐rich. The resultant Pd NSs with abundant defects no longer rely on surface ligand to stabilize the atomic arrangement and thus show excellent structural and electrochemical stability. This work provides a facile and effective method to maintain the integrity of colloidal nanocrystals by slowly removing the surface ligand.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2219546
- PAR ID:
- 10475558
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Volume:
- 62
- Issue:
- 52
- ISSN:
- 1433-7851
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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