Metal halide perovskite nanocrystals are promising functional components in light-emitting diodes. Monodisperse CsPbI3 nanocrystals are typically synthesized in solution with oleate ligands to ensure uniform growth. These long ligands, however, form labile and electrically insulating layers on the surface of synthesized nanocrystals, reducing their luminescence efficiency and stability. Although oleate ligands can be exchanged post-synthesis with shorter molecules or inorganic halide salts to address these performance issues, these replacement species can only be dissolved in polar solvents, which destroy the perovskite structure. Ya-Kun Wang, Liang-Sheng Liao and colleagues instead exchange the native oleate ligands with a short, reactive, liquid molecule, iodotrimethylsilane. Its liquid nature makes it decently miscible with non-polar solvents, and its compact, three-carbon structure and strong reactivity establish a conductive and passivating layer on the nanocrystal surface. Using CsPbI3 nanocrystals resurfaced with this ligand, the researchers produce red perovskite light-emitting diodes with an impressive external quantum efficiency of ~23%.