Perovskite
nanocrystals (PNCs) are highly demanding nanomaterials
for solid-state lighting applications. A challenge for their exploitation
in practical applications is the insufficient ambient and water stability
associated with their ionic nature. Here we report a novel route for
solid-state encapsulation of films of perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs)
through vapor-phase deposition of a thin and hydrophobic layer of
fluoroalkyltrichlorosilanes (FAS). High quality nanoscale crystals
of CsPbBr3 were synthesized with well-established colloidal
methods and coated on solid substrates. The films of PNCs were then
subjected to vapor of FAS for short durations of time (<60 s) in
ambient atmosphere, resulting in deposition of a thin (<20 nm)
hydrophobic layer. Besides providing a barrier for water and humidity,
the vapor-phase deposition of FAS was accompanied by the blue shift
of the emission wavelength of the PNCs. The color shift results from
the partial exchange of Br with Cl anions, which emerge during
the self-hydrolysis of the silane molecules. Throughout this process,
we demonstrate the enhanced water stability of the films of PNCs and
fine tunability of the wavelength in films from 516 nm to 488
nm. The fabrication of a white-light-emitting diode and tunability
of the color coordinates with the duration of the FAS deposition were
demonstrated. The rapid, scalable, and inexpensive solid-state encapsulation
approach shows great promise for films of halide perovskites.