Effect of silica aerogel encapsulation on the photoluminescence properties of perovskite quantum dots

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), known for their high fluorescence efficiency and excellent color purity, hold great promise for display applications. However, their poor environmental stability remains a major obstacle to commercialization. Encapsulation using mesoporous materials has emerged as an effective strategy to enhance the stability of PQDs. In this study, silica aerogel (SiO₂ AGs) was employed as the encapsulation matrix to successfully synthesize silica aerogel-encapsulated perovskite quantum dot composites (denoted as MAPbX₃@AGs), which exhibited tunable photoluminescence in the range of 450–598 nm. The effects of silica aerogel encapsulation on the optical properties of PQDs were systematically investigated. The results show that MAPbX₃ PQDs are embedded within the nanopores of the silica aerogel, which serves as an effective physical barrier against degradation caused by light, heat, and moisture. In addition, the hydrophobic groups on the surface of the aerogel further reduce moisture penetration, offering additional protection to the PQDs. Notably, the MAPbBr₃@AGs composite demonstrated excellent environmental stability, retaining 69.7% of its initial photoluminescence intensity even after immersion in water for six days.