Stable CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals Confined in SBA-15 for Photocatalytic C–C Coupling Reactions under Visible Light Irradiation

Abstract

In recent years, metal halide perovskite materials have emerged as potential tools for photocatalytic redox reactions owing to their low cost, tunable band gaps, and other excellent optoelectronic properties. However, their applications are limited by poor stability. Here, we prepared a novel CsPbBr3/SBA-15 photocatalyst, in which CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (CsPbBr3 NCs) were in situ grown and confined in mesoporous SBA-15. The CsPbBr3/SBA-15 catalyst demonstrated remarkable reactivity, with turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) reaching as high as 9604.8 and 1600.8 h–1 in the α-alkylation of aldehydes, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, these values are the highest ever achieved in a batch reaction system. Moreover, the CsPbBr3 NCs confined in SBA-15 exhibited excellent stability, which survived in a water environment for more than 8 months. Overall, these results demonstrate the successful construction of a highly efficient and stable CsPbBr3/SBA-15 photocatalyst, offering a promising and robust platform for organic synthesis toward photocatalytic C–C bond formation.