Universal trapping mechanism in semiconductor nanocrystals

Surface Reconstructions in II-VI Quantum Dots

Although density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been crucial in our understanding of colloidal quantum dots (QDs), simulations are commonly carried out on QD models that are significantly smaller than those generally found experimentally. While smaller models allow for efficient study of local surface configurations, increasing the size of the QD model will increase the size or number of facets, which can in turn influence the energetics and characteristics of trap formation. Moreover, core-shell structures can only be studied with QD models that are large enough to accommodate the different layers with the correct thickness. Here, we use DFT calculations to study the electronic properties of QDs as a function of size, up to a diameter of ∼4.5 nm. We show that increasing the size of QD models traditionally used in DFT studies leads to a disappearance of the band gap and localization of the HOMO and LUMO levels on facet-specific regions of the QD surface. We attribute this to the lateral coupling of surface orbitals and the formation of surface bands. The introduction of surface vacancies and their a posteriori refilling with Z-type ligands leads to surface reconstructions that widen the band gap and delocalize both the HOMO and LUMO. These results show that the surface geometry of the facets plays a pivotal role in defining the electronic properties of the QD.

Optical-Gain-based Sensing Using Inorganic-Ligand-Passivated Colloidal Quantum Dots

Thanks to their extremely large surface-to-volume ratio, colloidal quantum dots are potential high-performance sensing materials. However, previous sensing works using their spontaneous emission suffer from low sensitivities. The absence of an amplification process and the presence of the steric hindrance of long-chain organic ligands are two possible causations. Herein we propose that these two issues can be circumvented by using the amplified spontaneous emission of colloidal quantum dots capped by short-chain inorganic ligands. To exemplify this concept, we performed humidity sensing and observed a ∼31 times enhancement in sensitivity. Meanwhile, we found that the amplified spontaneous emission threshold power was reduced by 34% in a high humidity environment. On the basis of our transient absorption measurements, we attribute these observations to the mitigation of ultrafast subpicosecond trapping processes, which are enabled by the absorption of water molecules.

Excitonic enhancement of colour emission and Förster resonance energy transfer in chemically synthesized Mn-doped ZnS nanomaterials

This study has been carried out to understand the mechanism of charge carrier dynamics and the existence of exciton-dopant energy transfer within Mn-doped ZnS nanomaterials. Improvement in the energy transfer efficiency and electroluminescence properties of these nanomaterials has been investigated for using them as an emissive layer of LEDs. A chemical co-precipitation method has been used to synthesize ZnS with varying Mn contents to achieve enhanced luminescence properties demonstrating the effect of Mn doping on excitonic luminescence intensity. X-ray powder diffraction analysis reveals the prepared materials to be cubic crystallites with size varying between 2 nm and 4 nm. Agglomerated clusters and a nanogranular morphology have been observed in SEM analysis. The UV-Vis spectra reveal that the band gaps slightly decrease with an increase in the Mn content in ZnS samples. The photoluminescence spectra show that upon Mn incorporation, the intensity of blue emission at 420 nm increases due to the surface states in ZnS; an orange emission at 588 nm is also observed due to a transition within Mn2+. The energy transfer efficiency of 3 to 6% was measured theoretically by using the FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer) model. Mn-doped ZnS shows high photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) in comparison with ZnS, where 0.04 mol% Mn-doped ZnS achieved the highest QY of about 28.94%. The CIE chromaticity coordinates accordingly shift toward white from the blue region upon Mn substitution. A kinetic model has been used to determine the energy transfer efficiency, which affects the luminescence properties of ZnS. The FRET model has suitably unraveled the Förster radius and interatomic distance, which make the energy transfer possible in these materials. We have found 0.04 mol% Mn-doped ZnS with an enhanced energy transfer efficiency. The maximum external quantum efficiency of about 0.643% can be achieved at 2.9 volts of operating voltage for this nanomaterial. These highly luminescent materials possess the characteristics of an emissive layer to be used for light-emitting applications.

High Photon Upconversion Efficiency with Hybrid Triplet Sensitizers by Ultrafast Hole-Routing in Electronic-Doped Nanocrystals

Low-power photon upconversion (UC) based on sensitized triplet-triplet annihilation (sTTA) is considered as the most promising upward wavelength-shifting technique to enhance the light-harvesting capability of solar devices. Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) with conjugated organic ligands have been recently proposed to extend the limited light-harvesting capability of molecular absorbers. Key to their functioning is efficient energy transfer (ET) from the NC to the triplet state of the ligands that sensitize free annihilator moieties responsible for the upconverted luminescence. The ET efficiency is typically limited by parasitic processes, above all nonradiative hole-transfer to the ligand highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO). Here, a new exciton-manipulation approach is demonstrated that enables loss-free ET by electronically doping CdSe NCs with gold impurities that introduce a hole-accepting intragap state above the HOMO energy of 9-anthracene acid ligands. Upon photoexcitation, the NC photoholes are rapidly routed to the Au-level, producing a long-lived bound exciton in perfect resonance with the ligand triplet. This hinders hole-transfer leading to ≈100% efficient ET that translates into an upconversion quantum yield as high as ≈12% (≈24% in the normalized definition), which is the highest performance for NC-based upconverters based on sTTA to date and approaches the record efficiency of optimized organic systems.

Charge Dynamics in Quantum-Dot-Acceptor Complexes in the Presence of Confining and Deconfining Ligands

Nanocrystal surface functionalization is becoming widespread for applications exploiting fast charge extraction or ultrasensitive redox reactions. A variety of molecular acceptors are being linked to the dot surface via a new generation of organic ligands, ranging from neutral linkers to charge delocalizers. Understanding how core states interact with these molecular orbitals, localized outside the dot, is paramount for optimizing the design of efficient nanocrystal-acceptor conjugates. Here we look at two examples of this interaction: charge transfer to a molecular acceptor linked through either an exciton-delocalizing ligand or a more conventional localizing molecule. We find that such transfer can be described in terms of an Auger-mediated process whose rates can be tuned within a window of a few orders of magnitude (for the same dot-ligand-acceptor conjugate) by a suitable choice of the dispersion solvent and nanocrystal's dielectric environment. This result provides clear guidelines for charge extraction rate engineering in nanocrystal-based devices.

Temperature-Induced Self-Compensating Defect Traps and Gain Thresholds in Colloidal Quantum Dots

Continuous-wave (CW) lasing was recently achieved in colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) by lowering the threshold through the introduction of biaxial strain. However, the CW laser threshold is still much higher than the femtosecond threshold. This must be addressed before electrically injected lasing can be realized. Here we investigate the relationship between threshold and temperature and find a subpicosecond recombination process that proceeds very efficiently at temperatures reached during CW excitation. We combine density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations to explore potential candidates for such a process, and find that crystal defects having thermally vibrating energy levels can become electronic traps-i.e., they can protrude into the bandgap-when they are sufficiently distorted at higher temperatures. We find that biaxially strained CQDs, which have a lower femtosecond laser threshold than traditional CQDs, result in less heat for a given transparency/gain level and thus undergo this trapping to a lower extent. We also propose methods to tailor CQDs to avoid self-compensating defect traps.

Triplet–triplet annihilation based photon up-conversion in hybrid molecule–semiconductor nanocrystal systems

Photon up-conversion based on triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) in a hybrid system exploits the annihilation of optically dark triplets of an organic emitter, sensitized by a semiconductor nanocrystal, to produce high-energy singlets that generate high energy emission.

Finding and Fixing Traps in II-VI and III-V Colloidal Quantum Dots: The Importance of Z-Type Ligand Passivation

Energy levels in the band gap arising from surface states can dominate the optical and electronic properties of semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs). Recent theoretical work has predicted that such trap states in II-VI and III-V QDs arise only from two-coordinated anions on the QD surface, offering the hypothesis that Lewis acid (Z-type) ligands should be able to completely passivate these anionic trap states. In this work, we provide experimental support for this hypothesis by demonstrating that Z-type ligation is the primary cause of PL QY increase when passivating undercoordinated CdTe QDs with various metal salts. Optimized treatments with InCl₃ or CdCl₂ afford a near-unity (>90%) photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY), whereas other metal halogen or carboxylate salts provide a smaller increase in PL QY as a result of weaker binding or steric repulsion. The addition of non-Lewis acidic ligands (amines, alkylammonium chlorides) systematically gives a much smaller but non-negligible increase in the PL QY. We discuss possible reasons for this result, which points toward a more complex and dynamic QD surface. Finally we show that Z-type metal halide ligand treatments also lead to a strong increase in the PL QY of CdSe, CdS, and InP QDs and can increase the efficiency of sintered CdTe solar cells. These results show that surface anions are the dominant source of trap states in II-VI and III-V QDs and that passivation with Lewis acidic Z-type ligands is a general strategy to fix those traps. Our work also provides a method to tune the PL QY of QD samples from nearly zero up to near-unity values, without the need to grow epitaxial shells.

Finding and Fixing Traps in II-VI and III-V Colloidal Quantum Dots: The Importance of Z-Type Ligand Passivation

Energy levels in the band gap arising from surface states can dominate the optical and electronic properties of semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs). Recent theoretical work has predicted that such trap states in II–VI and III–V QDs arise only from two-coordinated anions on the QD surface, offering the hypothesis that Lewis acid (Z-type) ligands should be able to completely passivate these anionic trap states. In this work, we provide experimental support for this hypothesis by demonstrating that Z-type ligation is the primary cause of PL QY increase when passivating undercoordinated CdTe QDs with various metal salts. Optimized treatments with InCl₃ or CdCl₂ afford a near-unity (>90%) photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY), whereas other metal halogen or carboxylate salts provide a smaller increase in PL QY as a result of weaker binding or steric repulsion. The addition of non-Lewis acidic ligands (amines, alkylammonium chlorides) systematically gives a much smaller but non-negligible increase in the PL QY. We discuss possible reasons for this result, which points toward a more complex and dynamic QD surface. Finally we show that Z-type metal halide ligand treatments also lead to a strong increase in the PL QY of CdSe, CdS, and InP QDs and can increase the efficiency of sintered CdTe solar cells. These results show that surface anions are the dominant source of trap states in II–VI and III–V QDs and that passivation with Lewis acidic Z-type ligands is a general strategy to fix those traps. Our work also provides a method to tune the PL QY of QD samples from nearly zero up to near-unity values, without the need to grow epitaxial shells.

Efficient Hot Electron Transfer in Quantum Dot-Sensitized Mesoporous Oxides at Room Temperature

Hot carrier cooling processes represent one of the major efficiency losses in solar energy conversion. Losses associated with cooling can in principle be circumvented if hot carrier extraction toward selective contacts is faster than hot carrier cooling in the absorber (in so-called hot carrier solar cells). Previous work has demonstrated the possibility of hot electron extraction in quantum dot (QD)-sensitized systems, in particular, at low temperatures. Here we demonstrate a room-temperature hot electron transfer (HET) with up to unity quantum efficiency in strongly coupled PbS quantum dot-sensitized mesoporous SnO₂. We show that the HET efficiency is determined by a kinetic competition between HET rate ( K_HET) and the thermalization rate ( K_TH) in the dots. K_HET can be modulated by changing the excitation photon energy; K_TH can be modified through the lattice temperature. DFT calculations demonstrate that the HET rate and efficiency are primarily determined by the density of the state (DoS) of QD and oxide. Our results provide not only a new way to achieve efficient hot electron transfer at room temperature but also new insights on the mechanism of HET and the means to control it.

Surface Traps in Colloidal Quantum Dots: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Perspective

Surface traps are ubiquitous to nanoscopic semiconductor materials. Understanding their atomistic origin and manipulating them chemically have capital importance to design defect-free colloidal quantum dots and make a leap forward in the development of efficient optoelectronic devices. Recent advances in computing power established computational chemistry as a powerful tool to describe accurately complex chemical species and nowadays it became conceivable to model colloidal quantum dots with realistic sizes and shapes. In this Perspective, we combine the knowledge gathered in recent experimental findings with the computation of quantum dot electronic structures. We analyze three different systems: namely, CdSe, PbS, and CsPbI₃ as benchmark semiconductor nanocrystals showing how different types of trap states can form at their surface. In addition, we suggest experimental healing of such traps according to their chemical origin and nanocrystal composition.

Temperature-Dependent Hole Transfer from Photoexcited Quantum Dots to Molecular Species: Evidence for Trap-Mediated Transfer

The effect of temperature on the rate of hole transfer from photoexcited quantum dots (QDs) is investigated by measuring the driving force dependence of the charge transfer rate for different sized QDs across a range of temperatures from 78 to 300 K. Spherical CdSe/CdS core/shell QDs were used with a series of ferrocene-derived molecular hole acceptors with an 800 meV range in electrochemical potential. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements and photoluminescence quantum yield measurements in an integrating sphere were both performed from 78 to 300 K to obtain temperature-dependent rates for a series of driving forces as dictated by the nature of the molecular acceptor. For both QD sizes studied and all ligands, the Arrhenius plot of hole transfer exhibited an activated (linear) regime at higher temperatures and a temperature-independent regime at low temperatures. The extracted activation energies in the high-temperature regime were consistent across all ligands for a given QD size. This observation is not consistent with direct charge transfer from the QD valence band to the ferrocene acceptor. Instead, a model in which charge transfer is mediated by a shallow and reversible trap more accurately fits the experimental results. Implications for this observed trap-mediated transfer are discussed including as a strategy to more efficiently extract charge from QDs.

AgCl-doped CdSe quantum dots with near-IR photoluminescence

We report the synthesis of colloidal CdSe quantum dots doped with a novel Ag precursor: AgCl. The addition of AgCl causes dramatic changes in the morphology of synthesized nanocrystals from spherical nanoparticles to tetrapods and finally to large ellipsoidal nanoparticles. Ellipsoidal nanoparticles possess an intensive near-IR photoluminescence ranging up to 0.9 eV (ca. 1400 nm). In this article, we explain the reasons for the formation of the ellipsoidal nanoparticles as well as the peculiarities of the process. The structure, Ag content, and optical properties of quantum dots are also investigated. The optimal conditions for maximizing both the reaction yield and IR photoluminescence quantum yield are found.

Enhanced Luminescent Stability through Particle Interactions in Silicon Nanocrystal Aggregates

Close-packed assemblies of ligand-passivated colloidal nanocrystals can exhibit enhanced photoluminescent stability, but the origin of this effect is unclear. Here, we use experiment, simulation, and ab initio computation to examine the influence of interparticle interactions on the photoluminescent stability of silicon nanocrystal aggregates. The time-dependent photoluminescence emitted by structures ranging in size from a single quantum dot to agglomerates of more than a thousand is compared with Monte Carlo simulations of noninteracting ensembles using measured single-particle blinking data as input. In contrast to the behavior typically exhibited by the metal chalcogenides, the measured photoluminescent stability shows an enhancement with respect to the noninteracting scenario with increasing aggregate size. We model this behavior using time-dependent density functional theory calculations of energy transfer between neighboring nanocrystals as a function of nanocrystal size, separation, and the presence of charge and/or surface-passivation defects. Our results suggest that rapid exciton transfer from "bright" nanocrystals to surface trap states in nearest-neighbors can efficiently fill such traps and enhance the stability of emission by promoting the radiative recombination of slowly diffusing excited electrons.

Ultrafast Charge Dynamics in Trap-Free and Surface-Trapping Colloidal Quantum Dots

Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy is used to study subnanosecond charge dynamics in CdTe colloidal quantum dots. After treatment with chloride ions, these can become free of surface traps that produce nonradiative recombination. A comparison between these dots and the same dots before treatment enables new insights into the effect of surface trapping on ultrafast charge dynamics. The surface traps typically increase the rate of electron cooling by 70% and introduce a recombination pathway that depopulates the conduction band minimum of single excitons on a subnanosecond timescale, regardless of whether the sample is stirred or flowed. It is also shown that surface trapping significantly reduces the peak bleach obtained for a particular pump fluence, which has important implications for the interpretation of transient absorption data, including the estimation of absorption cross-sections and multiple exciton generation yields.

Coupling single quantum dots to plasmonic nanocones: optical properties

Coupling a single quantum emitter, such as a fluorescent molecule or a quantum dot (QD), to a plasmonic nanostructure is an important issue in nano-optics and nano-spectroscopy, relevant for a wide range of applications, including tip-enhanced near-field optical microscopy, plasmon enhanced molecular sensing and spectroscopy, and nanophotonic amplifiers or nanolasers, to mention only a few. While the field enhancement of a sharp nanoantenna increasing the excitation rate of a very closely positioned single molecule or QD has been well investigated, the detailed physical mechanisms involved in the emission of a photon from such a system are, by far, less investigated. In one of our ongoing research projects, we try to address these issues by constructing and spectroscopically analysing geometrically simple hybrid heterostructures consisting of sharp gold cones with single quantum dots attached to the very tip apex. An important goal of this work is to tune the longitudinal plasmon resonance by adjusting the cones' geometry to the emission maximum of the core-shell CdSe/ZnS QDs at nominally 650 nm. Luminescence spectra of the bare cones, pure QDs and hybrid systems were distinguished successfully. In the next steps we will further investigate, experimentally and theoretically, the optical properties of the coupled systems in more detail, such as the fluorescence spectra, blinking statistics, and the current results on the fluorescence lifetimes, and compare them with uncoupled QDs to obtain a clearer picture of the radiative and non-radiative processes.

Density of Trap States and Auger-mediated Electron Trapping in CdTe Quantum-Dot Solids

Charge trapping is an ubiquitous process in colloidal quantum-dot solids and a major limitation to the efficiency of quantum dot based devices such as solar cells, LEDs, and thermoelectrics. Although empirical approaches led to a reduction of trapping and thereby efficiency enhancements, the exact chemical nature of the trapping mechanism remains largely unidentified. In this study, we determine the density of trap states in CdTe quantum-dot solids both experimentally, using a combination of electrochemical control of the Fermi level with ultrafast transient absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, and theoretically, via density functional theory calculations. We find a high density of very efficient electron traps centered ∼0.42 eV above the valence band. Electrochemical filling of these traps increases the electron lifetime and the photoluminescence quantum yield by more than an order of magnitude. The trapping rate constant for holes is an order of magnitude lower that for electrons. These observations can be explained by Auger-mediated electron trapping. From density functional theory calculations we infer that the traps are formed by dicoordinated Te atoms at the quantum dot surface. The combination of our unique experimental determination of the density of trap states with the theoretical modeling of the quantum dot surface allows us to identify the trapping mechanism and chemical reaction at play during charge trapping in these quantum dots.

Tuning electronic states of a CdSe/ZnS quantum dot by only one functional dye molecule

Self-assembly of only one functionalized porphyrin dye molecule with one CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) not only modifies the photoluminescence (PL) intensity but also creates a few energetically clearly distinguishable electronic states, opening additional effective relaxation pathways. The related energy modifications are in the range of 10-30 meV and show a pronounced sensitivity to the specific nature of the respective dye. We assign the emerging energies to surface states. Time-resolved PL spectroscopy in combination with spectral deconvolution reveals that surface properties of QDs are a complex interplay of the nature of the dye molecule and the topography of the ligand layer across a temperature range from 77 to 290 K. This includes a kind of phase transition of trioctylphosphine oxide ligands, switching the nature of surface states observed below and above the phase transition temperature. Most importantly, our findings can be closely related to recent calculations of ligand-induced modifications of surface states of QDs. The identification of the optical properties emerged from a combination of spectroscopy on single QDs and QDs in an ensemble.

Origins of photoluminescence decay kinetics in CdTe colloidal quantum dots

Recent experimental studies have identified at least two nonradiative components in the fluorescence decay of solutions of CdTe colloidal quantum dots (CQDs). The lifetimes reported by different groups, however, differed by orders of magnitude, raising the question of whether different types of traps were at play in the different samples and experimental conditions and even whether different types of charge carriers were involved in the different trapping processes. Considering that the use of these nanomaterials in biology, optoelectronics, photonics, and photovoltaics is becoming widespread, such a gap in our understanding of carrier dynamics in these systems needs addressing. This is what we do here. Using the state-of-the-art atomistic semiempirical pseudopotential method, we calculate trapping times and nonradiative population decay curves for different CQD sizes considering up to 268 surface traps. We show that the seemingly discrepant experimental results are consistent with the trapping of the hole at unsaturated Te bonds on the dot surface in the presence of different dielectric environments. In particular, the observed increase in the trapping times following air exposure is attributed to the formation of an oxide shell on the dot surface, which increases the dielectric constant of the dot environment. Two types of traps are identified, depending on whether the unsaturated bond is single (type I) or part of a pair of dangling bonds on the same Te atom (type II). The energy landscape relative to transitions to these traps is found to be markedly different in the two cases. As a consequence, the trapping times associated with the different types of traps exhibit a strikingly contrasting sensitivity to variations in the dot environment. Based on these characteristics, we predict the presence of a sub-nanosecond component in all photoluminescence decay curves of CdTe CQDs in the size range considered here if both trap types are present. The absence of such a component is attributed to the suppression of type I traps.

Effect of Chloride Passivation on Recombination Dynamics in CdTe Colloidal Quantum Dots

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) can be used in conjunction with organic charge-transporting layers to produce light-emitting diodes, solar cells and other devices. The efficacy of CQDs in these applications is reduced by the non-radiative recombination associated with surface traps. Here we investigate the effect on the recombination dynamics in CdTe CQDs of the passivation of these surface traps by chloride ions. Radiative recombination dominates in these passivated CQDs, with the radiative lifetime scaling linearly with CQD volume over τ_r=20–55 ns. Before chloride passivation or after exposure to air, two non-radiative components are also observed in the recombination transients, with sample-dependent lifetimes typically of less than 1 ns and a few ns. The non-radiative dynamics can be explained by Auger-mediated trapping of holes and the lifetimes of this process calculated by an atomistic model are in agreement with experimental values if assuming surface oxidation of the CQDs.

Linking surface chemistry to optical properties of semiconductor nanocrystals

This perspective gives insight into how the chemistry occurring at the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals is crucial to tailoring their optical properties to a myriad of applications.

Atomistic model of fluorescence intermittency of colloidal quantum dots

Optoelectronic applications of colloidal quantum dots demand a high emission efficiency, stability in time, and narrow spectral bandwidth. Electronic trap states interfere with the above properties but understanding of their origin remains lacking, inhibiting the development of robust passivation techniques. Here we show that surface vacancies improve the fluorescence yield compared to vacancy-free surfaces, while dynamic vacancy aggregation can temporarily turn fluorescence off. We find that infilling with foreign cations can stabilize the vacancies, inhibiting intermittency and improving quantum yield, providing an explanation of recent experimental observations.