Formation of CH3NH3PbBr3 Perovskite Nanocubes without Surfactant and Their Optical Properties

We systematically investigated the optical properties of sub-micron sized methylammonium lead tribromide ($CH_3NH_3PbBr_3$) cubes in the range of 100 to 700 nm, which were prepared by a surfactant-free precipitation method. We found that despite the strong absorbance, their photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) is very low as 0.009~0.011 % for whole range of sizes. Surfactant-free synthesis approach results in nanocubes that has no surface passivating reagents (e.g. surfactants) on their surface. As-prepared particles contain a large number of surface defects that may cause the low PLQY. The role of the surface defects were investigated in their photoluminescence decay process, which can be correlated with the particle size. Larger particles are characterized by a slower decay rate compared to smaller particles due to a large number of surface defects in the smaller particles that trap more excitons in the fluorescence decay process. These experimental results provide new insights into the fundamental relationship between surface state and optical properties.