Layered organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites: structure, optical properties, film preparation, patterning and templating engineering

Organic–inorganic perovskites are a class of interesting compound in the perovskite family due to their unique structures of alternately stacking sheets of organic and inorganic components on the molecular scale. In this highlight, the basic knowledge and recent advances in organic–inorganic perovskites are reviewed with particular emphasis on the feature work including: the novel <110>- and <111>-oriented perovskite structures, synthesis, film preparation, patterning methods and optoelectronic properties of hybrid perovskites. Moreover, the small functional organic molecules can be templated into a regular arrangement by the inorganic perovskite framework. This unique material with nature-formed lamellar structure has the potential to be used as a template to create novel derivatives and bring about unique physical properties. Some interesting examples, such as intercalated polymer and silica network by topochemical polymerisation, fabrication of disk-like semiconductor nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles by hybrid perovskite templates are described.