A convenient two-step technique for preparing thin films of the organic-inorganic perovskites (RNH 3 ) 2 (CH 3 NH 3 ) n-1 M n I 3n+1 (R ) butyl, phenethyl; M ) Pb, Sn; n ) 1, 2, ∞) has been achieved. Films of the metal halide, MI 2 , were first deposited onto ash glass or quartz disks using vacuum evaporation or spin-coating. By dipping these inorganic films, at room temperature, into an organic ammonium iodide solution for a short period of time (1-5 min for the layered perovskites), single-phase samples of the corresponding organic-inorganic perovskite thin films were formed. While a variety of solvents can be used for the dipping process, toluene/2-propanol mixtures have been shown to work well for many of the present compounds. The layered organic-inorganic perovskite films exhibited uniform surfaces and strong photoluminescence at wavelengths that were consistent with the corresponding materials made by single-crystal growth from solution. However, dipped organic-inorganic films made from evaporated PbI 2 exhibited a luminescent peak that was red-shifted approximately 10 nm relative to those prepared from spin-coated PbI 2 , perhaps due to states induced near the band edge as a result of crystal defects or surface states. Films of the three-dimensional perovskites CH 3 NH 3 MI 3 (M ) Pb, Sn) were also prepared by dipping MI 2 films into a methylammonium iodide 2-propanol solution. The resulting perovskite films were black, and their X-ray diffraction patterns were in good agreement with those of samples prepared from solid-state reactions or solution chemistry techniques. The present work demonstrates that the new dipping technique can be used as a generic method for synthesizing thin films of a variety of layered and three-dimensional organic-inorganic perovskites. It is expected to be particularly useful for preparing films of organic-inorganic systems in which the organic and inorganic components have incompatible solubility characteristics, or for systems in which the organic component is difficult to evaporate. The structural characterization and photoluminescence results all suggest that the perovskite films prepared using the title method are well-organized, making this method a promising technique to prepare thin films for a variety of potential device applications and scientific studies.

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a b s t r a c tTris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPP) are frequently detected in biota, including fish. However, knowledge of the toxicological and molecular effects of these currently used flame retardants is limited. In the present study, an in vivo screening approach was developed to evaluate effects of TDCPP and TPP on developmental endpoints and receptor-associated expression of mRNA in zebrafish embryos/larvae. Exposure to TDCPP or TPP resulted in significantly smaller rates of hatching and survival, in dose-and time-dependent manners. The median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) was 7.0 mg/L for TDCPP and 29.6 mg/L for TPP at 120 hour post-fertilization (hpf). Real-time PCR revealed alterations in expression of mRNAs involved in aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhRs)-, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR␣)-, estrogenic receptors (ERs)-, thyroid hormone receptor alpha (TR␣)-, glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-, and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)-centered gene networks. Exposure to positive control chemicals significantly altered abundances of mRNA in corresponding receptor-centered gene networks, a result that suggests that it is feasible to use zebrafish embryos/larvae to evaluate effects of chemicals on mRNA expression in these gene networks. Exposure to TDCPP altered transcriptional profiles in all six receptor-centered gene networks, thus exerting multiple toxic effects. TPP was easily metabolized and its potency to change expression of mRNA involved in receptor-centered gene networks was weaker than that of TDCPP. The PPAR␣-and TR␣-centered gene networks might be the primary pathways affected by TPP. Taken together, these results demonstrated that TDCPP and TPP could alter mRNA expression of genes involved in the six receptor-centered gene networks in zebrafish embryos/larvae, and TDCPP seemed to have higher potency in changing the mRNA expression of these genes.