Post-synthetic halide conversion and selective halogen capture in hybrid perovskites

Reaction with halogen vapor allows us to post-synthetically exchange halides in both three- (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) organic-inorganic metal-halide perovskites. Films of 3D Pb-I perovskites cleanly convert to films of Pb-Br or Pb-Cl perovskites upon exposure to Br-2 or Cl-2 gas, respectively. This gas-solid reaction provides a simple method to produce the high-quality Pb-Br or Pb-Cl perovskite films required for optoelectronic applications. Reactivity with halogens can be extended to the organic layers in 2D metal-halide perovskites. Here, terminal alkene groups placed between the inorganic layers can capture Br-2 gas through chemisorption to form dibromoalkanes. This reaction's selectivity for Br-2 over I-2 allows us to scrub Br-2 to obtain high-purity I-2 gas streams. We also observe unusual halogen transfer between the inorganic and organic layers within a single perovskite structure. Remarkably, the perovskite's crystallinity is retained during these massive structural rearrangements.