Polymerizable perovskite quantum dots initiate one-step PET-RAFT polymerization of covalently bonded perovskite-polymer gels

The integration of perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) with polymers has emerged as one of the effective strategies to enhance environmental stability of PQDs and broaden their application prospects. However, inherent phase separation between PQDs and polymers, along with poor dispersion, remains critical obstacles limiting the application of perovskite-polymer composites. In this work, we introduce a strategy for one-step in situ polymerization to construct PQDs-polybutyl acrylate (PBA) gels through photoinduced electron/energy transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization initiated by polymerizable PQDs. Through silanized hydrolysis treatment, methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr₃) QDs were successfully encapsulated with SiO₂ and functionalized with surface-grafted C=C bonds. The introduced C=C bonds enable covalent bonding between PQDs and the polymer matrix, achieving uniform dispersion of PQDs in the polymer matrix. The high catalytic efficiency of polymerizable PQDs achieves an 86% conversion rate for 6 h. By adjusting the loadings of polymerizable PQDs, we successfully prepared PQDs-PBA gels with tunable mechanical properties. Furthermore, the gels retain over 90% of their initial photoluminescence (PL) intensity after 30 days of exposure to ambient environment and water immersion, while maintaining satisfactory PL intensity under harsh conditions. The PQDs-PBA gels exhibit outstanding tensile and bending properties, demonstrating promising potential for applications in optical functional materials.