Luminescent Perovskite–Polymer Gel Composites Prepared in Situ via PET-RAFT Polymerization

Abstract

Although organic–inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as new semiconductor photocatalysts with excellent photocatalytic performance, their stability remains inferior to that of all-inorganic lead halide perovskite NCs. To address this limitation, we propose a one-step in situ polymerization strategy via a CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ NCs-initiated photoinduced electron/energy transfer-reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization to construct CH₃NH₃PbBr₃–PBA/PMA gel composites, demonstrating the feasibility of both oxygenated and oxygen-free preparation processes. In this system, CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ NCs serve dual roles: catalyzing the polymerization reaction and endowing the nanocomposites with fluorescence properties. By adjusting the cross-linker content, gel composites with tunable mechanical strength were successfully fabricated. Furthermore, the composites exhibited sustained fluorescence intensity for over 15 days in air and water and enhanced ethanol resistance, with the polymer matrix significantly improving the environmental stability of CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ NCs.