Effects of Crystallinity on the Photocatalytic Polymerization of 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene over CsPbBr3 Inverse Opals

Abstract

Due to their high absorption coefficient and long carrier lifetime, halide perovskites are promising candidates for photocatalysts. For this study, the antisolvent crystallization protocol and the colloidal crystal templating approach were combined to fabricate the highly crystalline cesium lead bromide perovskite with inverse opal morphology (IO-CsPbBr3). Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope images demonstrate the three-dimensional well-ordered porous structures of the IO-CsPbBr3 and their single-crystalline features. The presented approach not only provides hierarchical porous structures but also enhances overall crystallinity. When used as catalysts to promote the polymerization of 2,2′,5′,2″-ter-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, the highly crystalline IO-CsPbBr3 exhibits a superior photocatalytic performance compared to its polycrystalline counterpart. Furthermore, the morphology and the crystalline structure of the highly crystalline IO-CsPbBr3 are well preserved under photocatalytic conditions. This novel approach enables the preparation of a halide perovskite inverse opal with high crystallinity.