Centimeter-scale Gua3SbBr6 single crystals for white light-emitting diodes enabled by inhibition of multi-site nucleation†

Abstract

High-quality single crystals (SCs) are crucial for advanced photoelectronic devices like light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, and photodetectors. Zero-dimensional organic antimony-based metal halides, such as Gua₃SbX₆, offer great promise due to their unique structure and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). However, producing large-sized SCs remains challenging, because the multi-site nucleation leads to parasitic crystal formation, which consumes the abundant precursors. In this study, we utilized zinc acetate as an additive to cultivate centimeter-scale Gua₃SbBr₆ SCs. Zn²⁺ ions robustly coordinate with Br⁻ ions, effectively retarding their participation in the SC seed formation and suppressing multi-site nucleation. These optimized SCs were used to fabricate a white light-emitting diode (WLED) with a high color rendering index (CRI) of 89 and a maximum power efficiency of 48.6 lm/W, significantly outperforming conventional WLEDs. This study not only deepens our understanding of crystal growth dynamics but also addresses a key challenge, paving the way for high-performance, eco-friendly photoelectronic devices using Gua₃SbBr₆ SCs.