Nature-Inspired Halide Perovskite Breath Figures: Unleashing Enhanced Light-Matter Interaction

Halide perovskites offer a transformative potential for optoelectronics through tailoring the light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. However, their susceptibility to environmental factors and limited compatibility with standard lithography techniques present significant challenges in precise nanopatterning. This work unveils a nature-inspired breath figures (BFs) approach to pattern halide perovskites and enhancing their optoelectronic performance. The fabrication of BFs based on BiI₃ allows for changes in nanopore size (ranging from 247 to 423 nm) and their distribution. Subsequently, these BiI₃ BFs are transformed into hybrid halide MA₃Bi₂I₉ BFs using a vapor-assisted technique while retaining the nanoporous topology of the BiI₃ structure. The resultant MA₃Bi₂I₉ BFs show significantly enhanced light absorption compared to conventional thin films, attributed to the increased extinction and lower refractive index. The optoelectronic performance of the MA₃Bi₂I₉ BFs is showcased by constructing a photodetector, which exhibits three orders of magnitude higher responsivity and detectivity, up to 1 AW⁻¹ and 1.3 × 10¹² Jones, respectively, outperforming the photodetectors based on solution-processed A₃B₂I₉ halide perovskite thin films. The BFs method provides flexibility in tuning nanoscale morphology, showcasing its potential in advancing lead-free optoelectronics and paving the way for next-generation optoelectronic devices.