Multiscale chemical engineering of functional metal halides

ended

SCALE-HALO proposes a research program that will advance the development of highly luminescent molecular and solid-state compounds by focusing on the emerging, vast, and rather underexplored compositional and structural spaces comprised of metals and halogens, i.e., metal halides (MHs). SCALE-HALO is motivated by the eventual utility of MHs as versatile photonic sources in modern appliances (e.g., displays and lighting) and in future quantum technologies. The recent success of lead halide perovskites in optoelectronics inspires broader exploration of the chemistry and photophysics of MHs. The clear objective is to determine factors controlling the spectral widths and emission peak wavelengths, Stokes shifts, radiative lifetimes, and quantum efficiencies. In addition to the need to discover new chemically robust and nontoxic MH emitters, there is also a critical need to engineer material morphologies suitable for specific applications (e.g., thin films, nanocrystals, composites, etc.) Ensuring the thermal and environmental stabilities are especially important efforts. SCALE-HALO will therefore encompass the chemical engineering of MHs at the atomic scale (e.g., new compounds), nanoscale (e.g., synthesis of nanostructures and their surface chemistry), and mesoscale (e.g., nanostructure superlattices and composites). Furthermore, modern exploratory syntheses will be accelerated with automated high-throughput methods (e.g., robotics and microfluidics). The characterization toolbox for probing the local atomistic structure will be expanded with multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The individual and collective optical properties of MH nanostructures and their periodic assemblies will be established and rationalized. Toward diverse real-world applications, first trials will be undertaken to evaluate the potentials of novel MH materials for LCD displays, solid-state lighting and light-emitting diodes.