“Trash to Treasure” Recycling of Perovskite Single Crystals for X-ray Detection and Imaging

Abstract

Organometal halide perovskite single crystals (PSCs) have drawn intensive attention in X-ray detection due to their outstanding optoelectronic properties. However, they currently suffer from a short lifespan caused by a phase transition or water and oxygen erosion. Sustainably recycling end-of-life PSCs is essential for reducing environmental impact and saving costs on raw materials and time. Herein, we propose a “trash to treasure” economically recycling strategy, which utilizes ammonium salt-assisted octahedral [PbI₆]^4– reconstruction and rearrangement to in situ treat various degraded PSCs. X-ray detectors based on the recycled PSCs demonstrate significantly enhanced performances comparable to those of previously reported fresh PSCs. For example, the recycled FAPbI₃ detectors show a high sensitivity of 4.32 × 10⁴ μC Gy_air^–1 cm^–2 and a low limit of detection of 8.3 nGy_air s^–1, along with a high spatial resolution of 7.0 lp mm^–1. Furthermore, this method has also been successfully employed to construct 2D/3D heterojunctions. This method offers universality, effectiveness, and simplicity, thereby inspiring the recycling and reuse of degraded perovskites.