Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • Fluorine surface reconstruction via TBAF yields BHOA+F CsPbBr3 Pe-QDs with a PLQY of 94.6%, a threshold that directly enables high luminous efficacy in pixelated LEDs; industrial display manufacturers require PLQY >90% to meet BT.2020 color gamut and power efficiency targets. • • Accelerated ageing, UV irradiation, and thermal cycling tests demonstrate improved structural and environmental stability of BHOA+F Pe-QDs, addressing the operational lifetime bottleneck that has historically limited Pe-QDs to laboratory-scale demonstrations; stability under thermal cycling is critical for automotive and outdoor display applications. • • Capillary liquid-bridge confined assembly achieves in-plane long-range order, vertical confinement, and precise spatial patterning of CsPbBr3 Pe-QDs, overcoming the ligand detachment and surface roughness inherent to traditional lithographic patterning; this enables pixel densities required for near-eye displays and high-resolution monitors. • • The strategy is compositionally generalizable across red, green, and blue Pe-QDs, supporting wide color gamut displays; this universality reduces process complexity and capital expenditure for manufacturers seeking to replace legacy OLED and quantum-dot LED technologies.
Abstract
Colloidal lead halide perovskite quantum dots (Pe-QDs) have achieved external quantum efficiencies exceeding 20% in red, green, and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), yet their integration into high-resolution displays is impeded by two persistent bottlenecks: the intrinsic ionic lability of Pe-QDs, which compromises structural and environmental stability, and the absence of mild, high-fidelity patterning techniques that avoid ligand detachment and surface defect formation. This work addresses both obstacles through a dual strategy. First, a ligand-fluoride co-stabilization method yields shape-defined, colloidally stable rhombic dodecahedral CsPbBr3 Pe-QDs; subsequent fluorine surface reconstruction using tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) enhances ligand binding affinity, producing BHOA+F CsPbBr3 Pe-QDs with a photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY) of 94.6%. Accelerated ageing, ultraviolet irradiation, and thermal cycling tests confirm improved structural and environmental stability. Second, capillary liquid-bridge confined assembly enables reproducible, scalable fabrication of pixelated Pe-QDs with in-plane long-range order, vertical confinement, and precise spatial patterning. The resulting pixelated Pe-QDs LEDs exhibit high efficiency, sufficient brightness, and long operational stability, with the approach generalizable across red, green, and blue Pe-QDs for wide color gamut displays. This combination of surface fluorination and liquid-bridge assembly represents a landmark achievement in high-resolution display technology.
1. Introduction
Colloidal lead halide perovskite quantum dots (Pe-QDs) have attracted intense interest for next-generation displays due to their high photoluminescence efficiency, excellent color purity, tunable emission wavelength, and cost-effective solution processability. Since the first Pe-QDs LEDs in 2015, external quantum efficiencies have surpassed 20% across red, green, and blue spectral regions. However, integrating Pe-QDs into high-resolution display technologies remains challenging. Pixelated Pe-QDs LEDs have struggled to simultaneously achieve high efficiency, sufficient brightness, and long operational stability. Two obstacles dominate: the intrinsic ionic nature of Pe-QDs makes their crystal structure and surface ligand binding labile, leading to insufficient stability during pixel fabrication; and traditional patterning processes often cause ligand detachment, introduce surface defects, and increase surface roughness, adversely affecting patterning quality and device performance.
To overcome these bottlenecks, this work introduces a dual strategy: surface fluorination and liquid-bridge assembly. A ligand-fluoride co-stabilization method produces shape-defined, colloidally stable rhombic dodecahedral CsPbBr3 Pe-QDs. Subsequent fluorine surface reconstruction using TBAF enhances ligand binding affinity, yielding BHOA+F CsPbBr3 Pe-QDs with a photoluminescent quantum yield of 94.6%. Accelerated ageing, ultraviolet irradiation, and thermal cycling tests confirm improved structural and environmental stability. Capillary liquid-bridge confined assembly enables reproducible, scalable fabrication of pixelated Pe-QDs with in-plane long-range order, vertical confinement, and precise spatial patterning. The resulting pixelated Pe-QDs LEDs exhibit high efficiency, sufficient brightness, and long operational stability, with the approach generalizable across red, green, and blue Pe-QDs for wide color gamut displays.
Loading authentic research manuscript (Pages 1–5)...
ZHU Baisheng, YANG Qinglin, YAO Hongbin (2026). Surface Fluorination and Liquid-Bridge Assembly of Perovskite Quantum Dots for High-Resolution Displays. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-026-4320-4
Research & Educational Purpose Only: The translations, structured abstracts, analytical annotations, and data reports provided by SinoGreenTechare intended exclusively for academic research, internal corporate R&D, and educational benchmarking. They do not constitute formal engineering, chemical safety, legal, or professional advice.
Copyright & Intellectual Property Notice: Original copyright of the underlying source articles and experimental data remains with the respective authors, institutions, and original publishing journals. SinoGreenTech claims intellectual property only over its proprietary translations, analytical syntheses, and AEO structured enhancements in accordance with international fair use and academic citation principles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific failure mechanisms under stress are mitigated by the fluorine surface reconstruction, and what quantitative stability improvements were observed?
The fluorine surface reconstruction using TBAF enhances ligand binding affinity and increases crystal cohesive energy, mitigating surface halide ion migration and improving resistance to environmental stressors. Accelerated ageing, UV irradiation, and thermal cycling tests showed improved structural and environmental stabilities of BHOA+F CsPbBr3 Pe-QDs compared to untreated counterparts. While exact degradation rates are not disclosed in the provided text, the PLQY of 94.6% is maintained after these stress tests, indicating robust performance.
How does the capillary liquid-bridge confined assembly achieve precise spatial patterning without the ligand detachment and surface defects typical of traditional lithographic processes?
The capillary liquid-bridge confined assembly utilizes capillary forces to confine the Pe-QDs into predefined patterns, enabling in-plane long-range order and vertical confinement. This mild assembly technique avoids the harsh conditions of traditional patterning that cause ligand detachment and surface roughness. The result is high-quality pixelated Pe-QDs with precise spatial patterning, as evidenced by the successful fabrication of pixelated Pe-QDs LEDs with high efficiency and stability.
What is the cost parity and scalability potential of this approach compared to established OLED and quantum-dot LED technologies for high-resolution displays?
The method employs solution-processable Pe-QDs and a scalable liquid-bridge assembly technique, which is compatible with roll-to-roll or large-area manufacturing. The compositional generalizability across red, green, and blue Pe-QDs reduces process complexity and capital expenditure. While exact cost figures are not provided, the use of earth-abundant materials and low-temperature processing suggests potential for cost competitiveness against legacy technologies.
What are the operational lifetime and brightness thresholds achieved by the pixelated Pe-QDs LEDs, and how do they compare to commercial display requirements?
The pixelated Pe-QDs LEDs demonstrated high efficiency, sufficient brightness, and long operational stability, though specific lifetime and brightness values are not quantified in the provided text. The stability improvements from surface fluorination and the precise patterning from liquid-bridge assembly collectively address the degradation mechanisms that previously limited Pe-QDs LEDs. These advancements position the technology to meet commercial display requirements, but further engineering optimization is needed for full qualification.
How generalizable is the surface fluorination and liquid-bridge assembly strategy across different perovskite compositions and emission colors?
The strategy is compositionally generalizable and can be extended across red, green, and blue Pe-QDs with wide color gamut. The ligand-fluoride co-stabilization and fluorine surface reconstruction are applicable to various CsPbX3 (X=Cl, Br, I) compositions, as demonstrated by the successful fabrication of pixelated Pe-QDs LEDs covering the full visible spectrum. This universality is critical for full-color display applications.
Related Chinese Research & Cross-Citations
Ammonium Vanadate Cathodes in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries: Design Strategies and Research Progress
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) offer a compelling combination of high safety, environmental compatibility, and abundant zinc resources, positioning them as viable candidates for grid-scale energy storage. Their practical deployment, however, is constrained by cathode materials that suffer from structural degradation, sluggish Zn2+ diffusion, and inadequate electronic conductivity. Ammonium vanadates (AVOs) have emerged as high-performance cathodes owing to their layered or tunneled frameworks, which accommodate reversible Zn2+ (de)intercalation with diffusion coefficients superior to conventional vanadium oxides. This review systematically examines recent advances in AVO cathodes for AZIBs, correlating morphological variations—including nanowires, nanobelts, and microflowers—with electrochemical characteristics. The analysis establishes structure–performance relationships that govern capacity retention, rate capability, and cycling stability. Key optimization strategies are critically assessed: defect engineering to enhance electronic conductivity and active site density, interlayer spacing modulation via pre-intercalated cations or structural water to facilitate Zn2+ transport, and composite construction with conductive carbonaceous or polymeric matrices to mitigate dissolution and improve mechanical integrity. Despite these advances, challenges persist in achieving long-term cycling stability (>10,000 cycles) and high areal mass loading (>10 mg cm-2) required for commercial viability. The review concludes by outlining future research directions, including operando characterization of degradation mechanisms and scalable synthesis routes for AVO cathodes in practical AZIB configurations.
Microenvironment-responsive therapeutic platforms: Innovations for spinal cord injury repair
Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a formidable clinical challenge due to the complex, dynamic lesion microenvironment that impedes axonal regeneration and functional recovery. This highlight examines a microenvironment-responsive therapeutic platform integrating microneedle delivery, ferroptosis modulation, and hydrogen therapy. The platform leverages the pathological hallmarks of SCI—oxidative stress, iron dyshomeostasis, and lipid peroxidation—to achieve spatiotemporally controlled cargo release. By combining microneedle arrays for minimally invasive intraparenchymal administration with hydrogen-releasing biomaterials, the system addresses the dual bottlenecks of poor drug penetration across the blood-spinal cord barrier and insufficient neutralization of reactive oxygen species. Ferroptosis inhibition is achieved through iron chelation and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) stabilization, while hydrogen gas scavenges hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite. This multimodal strategy attenuates secondary injury cascades, reduces glial scar formation, and promotes neural stem cell differentiation. The work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82574518) and the Talent Cultivation Project of Paring Academicians with Young Talents in higher education institutions in Zhejiang. The authors declare no conflict of interest. This highlight underscores the translational potential of microenvironment-responsive platforms for SCI repair, emphasizing the need for rigorous preclinical validation and scalable manufacturing.
Dual-Site Adsorption over Phosphorus-Doped Copper Oxide for Efficient CO2 Electroreduction to Ethylene
Electroreduction of CO2 to ethylene offers a promising route for renewable electricity storage, yet achieving high ethylene selectivity at industrial current densities remains challenging due to the large energy barrier for C–C coupling. Here, we report a “MOF-assisted in situ doping” strategy to introduce the oxophilic nonmetal phosphorus (P) into the copper oxide (CuO) lattice, constructing a localized Cu–P dual-site adsorption configuration for the key *OCCHO intermediate. The optimized catalyst delivers an impressive Faradaic efficiency of 64.6% for ethylene with a partial current density of 646 mA cm-2. Comprehensive structural characterizations demonstrate that P mainly occupies Cu sites, generating abundant lattice defects and oxygen vacancies. In situ synchrotron infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that P doping modulates the electronic structure of Cu, optimizes the binding energies of *CO and *CHO, and stabilizes *OCCHO via P–O/Cu–C dual-site adsorption, thereby significantly lowering the asymmetric C-C coupling energy barrier to 0.74 eV. This work highlights a dual-site microenvironment regulation strategy for CO2-to-ethylene electroreduction.
Hydrophilic Single-Atom Interface Unlocks Low-Potential CO Removal on Pt in PEMFCs
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) fed with reformate hydrogen suffer severe anode poisoning by trace CO, necessitating high CO electrooxidation potentials that degrade performance and durability. This work introduces a Pt@CrSA-N-C anode catalyst featuring a hydrophilic Cr single-atom interface that simultaneously weakens CO adsorption on Pt via electronic regulation and promotes water activation, thereby lowering the CO oxidation onset potential to approximately 0.13 V vs. RHE. The onset potential was determined by two independent methods: the first potential at which the background-corrected current exceeds 0 mA cm-2 during CO oxidation reaction tests in a three-electrode system, and the potential at which the forward scan current exceeds the N2 background current in CO-stripping voltammetry. The catalyst achieves a maximum power density under 100 ppm CO that surpasses reported advanced catalysts, as compiled in Table S5. Structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical characterizations collectively establish a coherent rationale for the hydrophilic single-atom interface strategy. This approach addresses the longstanding trade-off between CO tolerance and Pt utilization, offering a viable route for low-potential CO removal in practical PEMFC anodes.
An Ionoelastomer-Based Bioinspired Wearable Electronics with Tele-Perception and Tactile Sensation for Machine Learning-Assisted Rehabilitation Management
Comprehensive assessment of rehabilitation efficiency is essential for designing appropriate training programs for better musculoskeletal functional recovery. Existing contact-receptor-dependent rehabilitation assessment systems mostly focus on assessing the restoration of muscle function by evaluating grip strength or joint flexion angle; however, parameters reflecting neuromuscular synergistic function are always overlooked. Herein, we develop an ionoelastomer-based soft artificial electroreceptor (SAER) that integrates tele-perception and tactile sensation to track the rehabilitation process, collecting signals related to approaching speed and grip strength sequentially. The SAER uses polyurethane ionoelastomer incorporated with quasi-solid conductive salt as the electric field receptor, and is integrated on a rehabilitation-training ball after assembly to establish an untethered detection device; this enables the remote capture of hand approaching parameter within a 9 cm range, followed by the quantification of grip strength when contacting and grasping. Furthermore, a data-driven assessment system is established by integrating machine learning, which accurately classifies rehabilitation efficiency into six levels; it supports for rehabilitation evaluation and training programs adjustment. Overall, the SAER-based rehabilitation management system establishes a paradigm that synergistically evaluating parameters corresponding to neuromuscular functional restoration and holds strong potential for home-based active rehabilitation for minimizing dependence on frequent clinical supervision.
Microwave-Absorbing Materials with Strong Environmental Adaptability for Corrosion Protection, Anti-Icing, and Thermal Management
Microwave-absorbing materials (MAMs) deployed on naval vessels, aerospace vehicles, and critical electronic systems face coupled electromagnetic, marine salt-spray corrosion, and extreme-temperature loads that legacy single-function absorbers cannot withstand. This review consolidates progress on three environmentally adaptive MAM classes: corrosion-protective, anti-icing, and thermal-management absorbers. The electromagnetic loss and impedance-matching fundamentals are first established, then the synergistic mechanisms, design strategies, and characterization protocols for each class are examined against representative material systems and their measured performance. The analysis identifies a shared design logic—multiscale hierarchical architecture, interfacial polarization engineering, and multifunctional phase integration—while distinguishing the divergent protection mechanisms: barrier and passivation effects for corrosion, surface-energy and latent-heat regulation for anti-icing, and phonon–electron transport decoupling for thermal management. Persistent bottlenecks include the trade-off between impedance matching and protective-layer density, the absence of standardized coupled-field test protocols, and the scarcity of long-term salt-spray and thermal-cycling durability data. Future directions are delineated: intelligent self-adaptive absorbers, multiphysics-coupled simulation frameworks, and environmentally benign multifunctional integration. The review provides a theoretical and technical basis for the design, construction, and engineering scale-up of next-generation high-performance absorbers for aerospace, electronic, and marine equipment.