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Creators/Authors contains: "Yan, Yong"

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  1. Abstract Visible‐light‐induced halide‐exchange between halide perovskite and organohalide solvents has been studied in which photoinduced electron transfer from CsPbBr3nanocrystals (NCs) to dihalomethane solvent molecules produces halide anions via reductive dissociation, followed by a spontaneous anion‐exchange. Photogenerated holes in this process are less focused. Here, for CsPbBr3in dibromomethane (DBM), we discover that Br radical (Br⋅) is a key intermediate resulting from the hole oxidation. We successfully trapped Br⋅ with reported methods and found that Br⋅ is continuously generated in DBM under visible light irradiation, hence imperative for catalytic reaction design. Continuous Br⋅ formation within this halide‐exchange process is active for photocatalytic [3+2] cycloaddition for vinylcyclopentane synthesis, a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry, with good yield and rationalized diastereoselectivity. The NC photocatalyst is highly recyclable due to Br‐based self‐healing, leading to a particularly economic and neat heterogeneous reaction where the solvent DBM also acts as a co‐catalyst in perovskite photocatalysis. Halide perovskites, notable for efficient solar energy conversion, are demonstrated as exceptional photocatalysts for Br radical‐mediated [3+2] cycloaddition. We envisage such perovskite‐induced Br radical strategy may serve as a powerful chemical tool for developing valuable halogen radical‐involved reactions. 
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  3. Abstract Nature is capable of storing solar energy in chemical bonds via photosynthesis through a series of C–C, C–O and C–N bond-forming reactions starting from CO2and light. Direct capture of solar energy for organic synthesis is a promising approach. Lead (Pb)-halide perovskite solar cells reach 24.2% power conversion efficiency, rendering perovskite a unique type material for solar energy capture. We argue that photophysical properties of perovskites already proved for photovoltaics, also should be of interest in photoredox organic synthesis. Because the key aspects of these two applications are both relying on charge separation and transfer. Here we demonstrated that perovskites nanocrystals are exceptional candidates as photocatalysts for fundamental organic reactions, for example C–C, C–N and C–O bond-formations. Stability of CsPbBr3in organic solvents and ease-of-tuning their bandedges garner perovskite a wider scope of organic substrate activations. Our low-cost, easy-to-process, highly-efficient, air-tolerant and bandedge-tunable perovskites may bring new breakthrough in organic chemistry. 
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  4. Abstract Metal‐halide perovskites have been explored as photocatalysts for CO2reduction. We report that perovskite photocatalytic CO2reduction in organic solvents is likely problematic. Instead, the detected products (i.e., CO) likely result from a photoredox organic transformation involving the solvent. Our observations have been validated using isotopic labeling experiments, band energy analysis, and new control experiments. We designed a typical perovskite photocatalytic setup in organic solvents that led to CO production of up to ≈1000 μmol g−1 h−1. CO2reduction in organic solvents must be studied with extra care because photoredox organic transformations can produce orders of magnitude higher rate of CO or CH4than is typical for CO2reduction routes. Though CO2reduction is not likely to occur, in situ CO generation is extremely fast. Hence a suitable system can be established for challenging organic reactions that use CO as a feedstock but exploit the solvent as a CO surrogate. 
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  5. Abstract Correlative scanning probe microscopy of chemical identity, surface potential, and mechanical properties provide insight into the structure–function relationships of nanomaterials. However, simultaneous measurement with comparable and high resolution is a challenge. We seamlessly integrated nanoscale photothermal infrared imaging with Coulomb force detection to form peak force infrared–Kelvin probe force microscopy (PFIR‐KPFM), which enables simultaneous nanomapping of infrared absorption, surface potential, and mechanical properties with approximately 10 nm spatial resolution in a single‐pass scan. MAPbBr3perovskite crystals of different degradation pathways were studied in situ. Nanoscale charge accumulations were observed in MAPbBr3near the boundary to PbBr2. PFIR‐KPFM also revealed correlations between residual charges and secondary conformation in amyloid fibrils. PFIR‐KPFM is applicable to other heterogeneous materials at the nanoscale for correlative multimodal characterizations. 
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