Colloidal metal halide perovskite nanocrystals have attracted remarkable scientific interest over the past decade, driven by their ease of synthesis, high absorption coefficients, near-unity photoluminescence quantum yields, and fast radiative lifetimes spanning the visible to near-infrared spectral range. These properties have positioned them as strong candidates across a broad set of optoelectronic applications, including LEDs, lasers, laser cooling, solar cells, scintillators, and photocatalysts, in several cases matching or exceeding the performance of established state-of-the-art materials.
Despite this progress, several fundamental challenges remain unresolved. The ionic and soft crystalline nature of perovskites, combined with their low formation enthalpy, means that nucleation mechanisms are still poorly understood, which limits access to advanced architectures such as core-shell structures and makes post-processing steps a major source of polydispersity and optoelectronic performance loss. Long-term ambient stability also remains a concern. Lead toxicity poses a real regulatory challenge, and while doping strategies have been used to reduce lead content, stabilize otherwise unstable phases, and introduce sensitized luminescence pathways, a general and transferable doping framework is still lacking. More broadly, establishing clear structure-function correlations across the nano- and atomic scale remains a key bottleneck for rational device improvement.
This seminar will begin with a concise overview of the state of the art and the key challenges the field faces. I will then present my recent and ongoing research addressing these challenges across three themes: (i) synthesis and doping chemistry; (ii) structural and optical characterization, including in-situ and synchrotron-based X-ray scattering methods; and (iii) novel optoelectronic applications. I will close by discussing how my research experience and planned directions connect to the broader scientific priorities at NIMBE and LIONS, and how I see potential for collaborative work developing from this visit.