A Highly Red‐Emissive Lead‐Free Indium‐Based Perovskite Single Crystal for Sensitive Water Detection

Abstract

Low-dimensional luminescent lead halide perovskites have attracted tremendous attention for their fascinating optoelectronic properties, while the toxicity of lead is still considered a drawback. Herein, we report a novel lead-free zero-dimensional (0D) indium-based perovskite (Cs₂ InBr₅ ⋅H₂ O) single crystal that is red-luminescent with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 33 %. Experimental and computational studies reveal that the strong PL emission might originate from self-trapping excitons (STEs) that result from an excited-state structural deformation. More importantly, the in situ transformation between hydrated Cs₂ InBr₅ ⋅H₂ O and the dehydrated form is accompanied with a switchable dual emission, which enables it to act as a PL water-sensor in humidity detection or the detection of traces of water in organic solvents.