Covalent organic frameworks writ large: Covalent organic framework (COF) materials have been difficult to characterize structurally and to exploit because they tend to form powders or amorphous materials. Ma et al. studied a variety of three-dimensional COFs based on imine linkages (see the Perspective by Navarro). They found that the addition of aniline inhibited nucleation and allowed the growth of crystals large enough for single-crystal x-ray diffraction studies. Evans et al. describe a two-step process in which nanoscale seeds of boronate ester–linked two-dimensional COFs can be grown into micrometer-scale single crystals by using a solvent that suppresses the nucleation of additional nanoparticles. Transient absorption spectroscopy revealed superior charge transport in these crystallites compared with that observed in conventional powders. Science , this issue p. 48 , p. 52 ; see also p. 35

Highly crystalline, monodisperse, imine-linked covalent organic framework nanoparticles were obtained under Sc(OTf)₃-catalyzed conditions and enlarged by a slow monomer addition technique that prevents secondary nucleation.

Significant interest exists in lead trihalides that present the perovskite structure owing to their demonstrated potential in photovoltaic, lasing, and display applications. These materials are also notable for their unusual phase behavior often displaying easily accessible phase transitions. In this work, time-resolved X-ray diffraction, performed on perovskite cesium lead bromide nanocrystals, maps the lattice response to controlled excitation fluence. These nanocrystals undergo a reversible, photoinduced orthorhombic-to-cubic phase transition which is discernible at fluences greater than 0.34 mJ cm⁻² through the loss of orthorhombic features and shifting of high-symmetry peaks. This transition recovers on the timescale of 510 ± 100 ps. A reversible crystalline-to-amorphous transition, observable through loss of Bragg diffraction intensity, occurs at higher fluences (greater than 2.5 mJ cm⁻²). These results demonstrate that light-driven phase transitions occur in perovskite materials, which will impact optoelectronic applications and enable the manipulation of non-equilibrium phase characteristics of the broad perovskite material class.