A chameleon under pressure: The observed piezochromic behavior of the title compound (BP2VA) was found to depend on its molecular aggregation state and specifically on the strength of the π–π interaction between the anthracene rings of adjacent molecules. When BP2VA is ground or placed under pressure, its molecular aggregation state changes, and a red shift in the fluorescence emission from green via orange to red occurs (see picture).

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are gaining increasing interest because of their extraordinary performance in optoelectronic devices and solar cells. However, developing an effective strategy for achieving the band-gap engineering of MHPs that will satisfy the practical applications remains a great challenge. In this study, high pressure is introduced to tailor the optical and structural properties of MHP-based cesium lead bromide nanocrystals (CsPbBr NCs), which exhibit excellent thermodynamic stability. Both the pressure-dependent steady-state photoluminescence and absorption spectra experience a stark discontinuity at ∼1.2 GPa, where an isostructural phase transformation regarding the Pbnm space group occurs. The physical origin points to the repulsive force impact due to the overlap between the valence electron charge clouds of neighboring layers. Simultaneous band-gap narrowing and carrier-lifetime prolongation of CsPbBr trihalide perovskite NCs were also achieved as expected, which facilitates the broader solar spectrum absorption for photovoltaic applications. Note that the values of the phase change interval and band-gap red-shift of CsPbBr nanowires are between those for CsPbBr nanocubes and the corresponding bulk counterparts, which results from the unique geometrical morphology effect. First-principles calculations unravel that the band-gap engineering is governed by orbital interactions within the inorganic Pb-Br frame through structural modification. Changes of band structures are attributed to the synergistic effect of pressure-induced modulations of the Br-Pb bond length and Pb-Br-Pb bond angle for the PbBr octahedral framework. Furthermore, the significant distortion of the lead-bromide octahedron to accommodate the Jahn-Teller effect at much higher pressure would eventually lead to a direct to indirect band-gap electronic transition. This study enables high pressure as a robust tool to control the structure and band gap of CsPbBr NCs, thus providing insight into the microscopic physiochemical mechanism of these compressed MHP nanosystems.

Organometal halide perovskites (OMHPs) are attracting an ever-growing scientific interest as photovoltaic materials with moderate cost and compelling properties. In this Letter, pressure-induced optical and structural changes of OMHP-based formamidinium lead bromide (FAPbBr3) were systematically investigated. We studied the pressure dependence of optical absorption and photoluminescence, both of which showed piezochromism. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction indicated that FAPbBr3 underwent two phase transitions and subsequent amorphization, leading directly to the bandgap evolution with redshift followed by blueshift during compression. Raman experiments illustrated the high pressure behavior of organic cation and the surrounding inorganic octahedra. Additionally, the effect of cation size and the different intermolecular interactions between organic cation and inorganic octahedra result in the fact that FAPbBr3 is less compressible than the reported methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr3). High pressure studies of the structural evolution and optical properties of OMHPs provide important clues in optimizing photovoltaic performance and help to design novel OMHPs with higher stimuli-resistant ability.

Atomic compositions and molar extinction coefficients of PbSe semiconductor nanocrystals were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometry, and transmission electron microscopy. The Pb/Se atomic ratio was found to be size-dependent with a systematic excess of Pb atoms in the PbSe nanocrystal system. Experimental results indicated that the individual PbSe nanocrystal was nonstoichiometric, consisting of a PbSe core and an extra layer of Pb atoms. For these nonstoichiometric PbSe semiconductor nanocrystals, we proposed a new computational approach to calculate the total number of Pb and Se atoms in different sized particles. This calculation played a key role on the accurate determination of the strongly size-dependent extinction coefficient, which followed a power law with an exponent of approximately 2.5.

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are of great interest for optoelectronics because of their high quantum efficiency in solar cells and light-emitting devices. However, exploring an effective strategy to further improve their optical activities remains a considerable challenge. Here, we report that nanocrystals (NCs) of the initially nonfluorescent zero-dimensional (0D) cesium lead halide perovskite Cs4PbBr6 exhibit a distinct emission under a high pressure of 3.01 GPa. Subsequently, the emission intensity of Cs4PbBr6 NCs experiences a significant increase upon further compression. Joint experimental and theoretical analyses indicate that such pressure-induced emission (PIE) may be ascribed to the enhanced optical activity and the increased binding energy of self-trapped excitons upon compression. This phenomenon is a result of the large distortion of [PbBr6]4− octahedral motifs resulting from a structural phase transition. Our findings demonstrate that high pressure can be a robust tool to boost the photoluminescence efficiency and provide insights into the relationship between the structure and optical properties of 0D MHPs under extreme conditions.

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Novel inorganic lead-free double perovskites with improved stability are regarded as alternatives to state-of-art hybrid lead halide perovskites in photovoltaic devices. The recently discovered Cs AgBiBr double perovskite exhibits attractive optical and electronic features, making it promising for various optoelectronic applications. However, its practical performance is hampered by the large band gap. In this work, remarkable band gap narrowing of Cs AgBiBr is, for the first time, achieved on inorganic photovoltaic double perovskites through high pressure treatments. Moreover, the narrowed band gap is partially retainable after releasing pressure, promoting its optoelectronic applications. This work not only provides novel insights into the structure-property relationship in lead-free double perovskites, but also offers new strategies for further development of advanced perovskite devices.

Low-toxicity, air-stable bismuth-based perovskite materials are attractive substitutes for lead halide perovskites in photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. The structural, optical, and electrical property changes of zero-dimensional perovskite Cs Bi I resulting from lattice compression is presented. An emission enhancement under mild pressure is attributed to the increase in exciton binding energy. Unprecedented band gap narrowing originated from Bi-I bond contraction, and the decrease in bridging Bi-I-Bi angle enhances metal halide orbital overlap, thereby breaking through the Shockley-Queisser limit under relatively low pressure. Pressure-induced structural evolutions correlate well with changes in optical properties, and the changes are reversible upon decompression. Considerable resistance reduction implies a semiconductor-to-conductor transition at ca. 28 GPa, and the final confirmed metallic character by electrical experiments indicates a wholly new electronic property.