Emerging Perovskite Nanocrystals-Enhanced Solid-State Lighting and Liquid-Crystal Displays

Combustion derived single phase Y4Al2O9:Tb3+ nanophosphor: crystal chemistry and optical analysis for solid state lighting applications

Cool green light emanating monoclinic Y4-x Al2O9:xTb3+ (x = 1-5 mol%) nanophosphors have been fabricated through gel-combustion method. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron-microscopy data have been utilized to assess their structural and microstructural characteristics, including cell parameters and crystallite size. Uneven aggregation of nanoparticles in the nano-scale with distinctive porosity can be seen in the TEM micrograph. Kubelka-Munk model imitative diffuse reflectance spectra and an optical band gap of 5.67 eV for the Y3.97Al2O9:0.03Tb3+ nanophosphor revealed high optical quality in the samples, which were thought to be non-conducting. The emission (PL) and excitation (PLE) spectra as well as lifetime measurements have been used to determine the luminescence characteristics of the synthesized nanophosphors. The emission spectra show two color i.e. blue color due to 5D3 → 7F J (J = 4 and 5) transitions and green color due to 5D4 → 7F J (J = 3, 4, 5 and 6) transitions. The most dominant transition (5D4 → 7F5) at 548 nm was responsible for the greenish color in focused nanocrystalline samples. Calculated colorimetric characteristics such as CIE, and CCT along with color purity of the synthesized nanocrystalline materials make them the best candidate for the solid-state lighting (SSL).

K+-doping-induced highly efficient red emission in CsPb(Br,I)3 quantum dot glass toward Rec. 2020 displays

It is demonstrated that the incorporation of K⁺ into CsPb(Br,I)₃ perovskite quantum dot glass leads to the simultaneous increases of quantum efficiency and phase stability. The latent mechanism is analyzed via the microstructural and spectroscopic studies. The constructed prototype white-light-emitting diode device yields an ultra-wide color gamut attaining 96% Rec. 2020 standard.

Enhanced Exciton Quantum Coherence in Single CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots using Femtosecond Two-Photon Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy

Cesium-halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have gained tremendous interest as quantum emitters in quantum information processing applications due to their optical and photophysical properties. However, engineering excitonic states in quantum dots requires a deep knowledge of the coherent dynamics of their excitons at a single-particle level. Here, we use femtosecond time-resolved two-photon near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) to reveal coherences involving a single cesium lead bromide perovskite QD (CsPbBr₃) at room temperature. We show that, compared to other nonperovskite nanoparticles, the electronic coherence on a single perovskite QD has a relatively long lifetime of ca. 150 fs, whereas CdSe QDs have exciton coherence times shorter than 75 fs at room temperature. One possible explanation for the longer coherence time observed for the CsPbBr₃ perovskite system is related to the exciton fine structure of these perovskite QDs compared to other nanoparticles. These perovskite QDs exhibit interesting optical properties that differ from those of the traditional QDs including bright triplet exciton states. In fact, due to the small amplitude of the energy gap fluctuations of dipole-allowed triplet states in perovskite QDs, the coherent superposition could be preserved for longer times. Furthermore, single-particle excitation approach implemented in this work allows us to remove effects of heterogeneity that are usually present in ensemble averaging experiments at room temperature. The realization of quantum-mechanical phase-coherence of a charge carrier that can operate at room temperature is an issue of great importance for the potential application of coherent electronic phenomena in electronic and optoelectronic devices. These interesting findings provide further evidence of the great potential of these perovskite QDs as candidates for quantum computing and information processing applications.

Luminescent Liquid Crystals Based on Carbonized Polymer Dots and Their Polarized Luminescence Application

Traditional luminescent liquid crystals (LLCs) suffer from fluorescence quenching caused by aggregation, which greatly limits their further application. In this work, a kind of novel LLCs (named carbonized polymer dot liquid crystals (CPD-LCs)) are designed and successfully synthesized through grafting the rod-shaped liquid crystal (LC) molecules of 4'-cyano-4-(4″-bromohexyloxy) biphenyl on the surface of CPDs. The peripheral LC molecules not only increase the distance between different CPDs to prevent them from aggregating and reduce intermolecular energy resonance transfer but also make this LLC have an ordered arrangement. Thus, the obtained CPD-LCs show good LC property and excellent high luminous efficiency with an absolute photoluminescence quantum yield of 14.52% in the aggregated state. Furthermore, this kind of CPD-LC is used to fabricate linearly polarized devices. The resultant linearly polarized dichroic ratio (N) and polarization ratio (ρ) are 2.59 and 0.44, respectively. Clearly, this type of CPD-LC shows promising applications for optical devices.

A Fluorescence Sensor for Pb2+ Detection Based on Liquid Crystals and Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogens

Heavy metals, such as lead ions, are regarded as the main environmental contaminants and have a negative impact on human bodies, making detection technologies of lead ions critical. However, most existing detection methods suffer from time consumption, complicated sample pretreatment, and expensive equipment, which hinder their broad use in real-time detection. Herein, we show a new fluorescence sensor for detecting lead ions derived from liquid crystals doped with an aggregation-induced emission luminogen. The mechanism is based on the variation of fluorescence intensity caused by the disturbance of an ordered liquid crystal configuration in the presence of Pb²⁺, induced by DNAzyme and its catalytic cleavage. The proposed fluorescence sensor exhibits a low detection limit of 0.65 nM, which is 2 orders of magnitude lower than that previously reported in an optical sensor based on liquid crystals. The detection range of the Pb²⁺ fluorescence sensor is broad, from 20 nM to 100 μM, and it also selects lead ions from numerous metal ions exactly, resulting in a highly sensitive, highly selective, simple, and low-cost detection strategy of Pb²⁺ with potential applications in chemical and biological fields. This approach to designing a liquid crystal fluorescence sensor offers an inspiring stage for detecting biomacromolecules or other heavy metal ions by varying decorated molecules.

Monodisperse Long-Chain Sulfobetaine-Capped CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals and Their Superfluorescent Assemblies

Ligand-capped nanocrystals (NCs) of lead halide perovskites, foremost fully inorganic CsPbX₃ NCs, are the latest generation of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots. They offer a set of compelling characteristics-large absorption cross section, as well as narrow, fast, and efficient photoluminescence with long exciton coherence times-rendering them attractive for applications in light-emitting devices and quantum optics. Monodisperse and shape-uniform, broadly size-tunable, scalable, and robust NC samples are paramount for unveiling their basic photophysics, as well as for putting them into use. Thus far, no synthesis method fulfilling all these requirements has been reported. For instance, long-chain zwitterionic ligands impart the most durable surface coating, but at the expense of reduced size uniformity of the as-synthesized colloid. In this work, we demonstrate that size-selective precipitation of CsPbBr₃ NCs coated with a long-chain sulfobetaine ligand, namely, 3-(N,N-dimethyloctadecylammonio)-propanesulfonate, yields monodisperse and sizable fractions (>100 mg inorganic mass) with the mean NC size adjustable in the range between 3.5 and 16 nm and emission peak wavelength between 479 and 518 nm. We find that all NCs exhibit an oblate cuboidal shape with the aspect ratio of 1.2 × 1.2 × 1. We present a theoretical model (effective mass/k·p) that accounts for the anisotropic NC shape and describes the size dependence of the first and second excitonic transition in absorption spectra and explains room-temperature exciton lifetimes. We also show that uniform zwitterion-capped NCs readily form long-range ordered superlattices upon solvent evaporation. In comparison to more conventional ligand systems (oleic acid and oleylamine), supercrystals of zwitterion-capped NCs exhibit larger domain sizes and lower mosaicity. Both kinds of supercrystals exhibit superfluorescence at cryogenic temperatures-accelerated collective emission arising from the coherent coupling of the emitting dipoles.

Solid-State NMR and NQR Spectroscopy of Lead-Halide Perovskite Materials

Two- and three-dimensional lead-halide perovskite (LHP) materials are novel semiconductors that have generated broad interest owing to their outstanding optical and electronic properties. Characterization and understanding of their atomic structure and structure-property relationships are often nontrivial as a result of the vast structural and compositional tunability of LHPs as well as the enhanced structure dynamics as compared with oxide perovskites or more conventional semiconductors. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy contributes to this thrust through its unique capability of sampling chemical bonding element-specifically (1/2H, 13C, 14/15N, 35/37Cl, 39K, 79/81Br, 87Rb, 127I, 133Cs, and 207Pb nuclei) and locally and shedding light onto the connectivity, geometry, topology, and dynamics of bonding. NMR can therefore readily observe phase transitions, evaluate phase purity and compositional and structural disorder, and probe molecular dynamics and ionic motion in diverse forms of LHPs, in which they can be used practically, ranging from bulk single crystals (e.g., in gamma and X-ray detectors) to polycrystalline films (e.g., in photovoltaics, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes) and colloidal nanocrystals (e.g., in liquid crystal displays and future quantum light sources). Herein we also outline the immense practical potential of nuclear quadrupolar resonance (NQR) spectroscopy for characterizing LHPs, owing to the strong quadrupole moments, good sensitivity, and high natural abundance of several halide nuclei (79/81Br and 127I) combined with the enhanced electric field gradients around these nuclei existing in LHPs as well as the instrumental simplicity. Strong quadrupole interactions, on one side, make 79/81Br and 127I NMR rather impractical but turn NQR into a high-resolution probe of the local structure around halide ions.

Synthesis of Blue-Emissive InP/GaP/ZnS Quantum Dots via Controlling the Reaction Kinetics of Shell Growth and Length of Capping Ligands

The development of blue-emissive InP quantum dots (QDs) still lags behind that of the red and green QDs because of the difficulty in controlling the reactivity of the small InP core. In this study, the reaction kinetics of the ZnS shell was controlled by varying the length of the hydrocarbon chain in alkanethiols for the synthesis of the small InP core. The reactive alkanethiol with a short hydrocarbon chain forms the ZnS shell rapidly and prevents the growth of the InP core, thus reducing the emission wavelength. In addition, the length of the hydrocarbon chain in the fatty acid was varied to reduce the nucleation kinetics of the core. The fatty acid with a long hydrocarbon chain exhibited a long emission wavelength as a result of the rapid nucleation and growth, due to the insufficient In–P–Zn complex by the steric effect. Blue-emissive InP/GaP/ZnS QDs were synthesized with hexanethiol and lauryl acid, exhibiting a photoluminescence (PL) peak of 485 nm with a full width at half-maximum of 52 nm and a photoluminescence quantum yield of 45%. The all-solution processed quantum dot light-emitting diodes were fabricated by employing the aforementioned blue-emissive QDs as an emitting layer, and the resulting device exhibited a peak luminance of 1045 cd/m², a current efficiency of 3.6 cd/A, and an external quantum efficiency of 1.0%.

Effect of Processing Technique Factors on Structure and Photophysical Properties of Perovskite Absorption Layer by Using Two-Step Spin-Coating Method

The investigation of crystal growth is crucial for us to improve the film quality and photophysical properties of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3). In the two-step spin-coating process, the crystal structure could be modulated by controlling the growth conditions of PbI2 and CH3NH3I (MAI) layers. In this paper, the PbI2 layer was treated with annealing under different times. A liquid–liquid diffusion (LLD) mechanism is proposed to modify the deposition of MAI precursor solution and enhance the flatness of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite film. Furthermore, the perovskite films are prepared using different concentrations of MAI. The evolution process of perovskite structure is observed by modulating the concentration of MAI. The spin-coating of moderate MAI tends to form high quality MAPbI3 films with enhanced absorption and carrier extraction capabilities. The high concentration of MAI would cause the perovskite phase transition, which provides a novel perspective to modulate the structure of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite in the two-step spin-coating process, although it deteriorates the device performance.

The Stability of Metal Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals-A Key Issue for the Application on Quantum-Dot-Based Micro Light-Emitting Diodes Display

The metal halide perovskite nanocrystal (MHP-NC), an easy-to-fabricate and low cost fluorescent material, is recognized to be among the promising candidates of the color conversion material in the micro light-emitting diode (micro-LED) display, providing that the stability can be further enhanced. It is found that the water steam, oxygen, thermal radiation and light irradiation-four typical external factors in the ambient environment related to micro-LED display-can gradually alter and destroy the crystal lattice. Despite the similar phenomena of photoluminescence quenching, the respective encroaching processes related to these four factors are found to be different from one another. The encroaching mechanisms are collected and introduced in separate categories with respect to each external factor. Thereafter, a combined effect of these four factors in an environment mimicking real working conditions of micro-LED display are also introduced. Finally, recent progress on the full-color application of MHP-NC is also reviewed in brief.

Strong fluorescence blinking of large-size all-inorganic perovskite nano-spheres

We demonstrated strong fluorescence blinking on large all-inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr₃) nano-spheres. By performing (time-resolved) micro-photoluminescence (μ-PL) measurements, the unique blinking characteristics of the as-grown nano-spheres with diameters of hundred nanometers, are clearly observed. Blinking has no obvious on/off states, which is different from the blinking characteristics of quantum dots. It is believed that the blinking of fluorescence is caused by metastable defect-induced trapping of carriers on the surface of the nano-spheres, because dramatically suppressed fluorescence blinking and the decay rates of ultrafast carriers are realized by surface passivation of the nano-spheres. Surface defects are closely related to the ambient atmosphere, which has been further confirmed by PL measurements of the as-grown nano-spheres in vacuum. Additionally, we also found that the fluorescence blinking was significantly suppressed as the sample size increased, which can be attributed to the large-size induced average effect on fluorescence blinking. These results may be important for understanding the mechanism of the fluorescence blinking of perovskite materials and for developing optical devices with good fluorescence stability.

Ligand assisted swelling-deswelling microencapsulation (LASDM) for stable, color tunable perovskite-polymer composites

Metal halide perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs), with excellent electronic and optical properties, are promising for a variety of optoelectronic and photonic applications. However, the instability issue still impedes their practical applications. Here a ligand-assisted swelling-deswelling microencapsulation (LASDM) strategy is proposed and evaluated for improving the stability and photoluminescence (PL) performance of PNCs. With ligand assistance, well dispersed and intimately passivated PNCs in polymer matrices are obtained. Compared with the previously reported swelling-deswelling microencapsulation (SDM) strategy, the proposed method can provide better nanocrystal size control and surface coordination. Thus, full-color perovskite-polymer composites (PPCs) with unprecedented environmental stability can be achieved and concentration quenching can be avoided in polymer matrices. The excellent color purity, color tunability, optical density variability and environmental stability make PPCs highly promising for a range of PL applications, such as tailored lighting and transparent projection displays. Moreover, the simple, low cost, scalable process and the compatibility of this method with a group of polymer matrices should pave the way for PPCs to meet the requirements for practical use.

Nanocrystalline structure control and tunable luminescence mechanism of Eu-doped CsPbBr3 quantum dot glass for WLEDs

CsPbX₃(Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dot glass has been widely reported, and the discovery of next-generation perovskite luminescent materials has been challenged by doping rare earth activators with energy-level transitions. In this work, we report a novel Eu-doped quantum dot glass material with tunable luminescence properties. The structure characteristics and tunable luminescence mechanism were investigated by combining X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy, excitation and emission spectra. It was found that Eu ions replaced the lattice of Pb in CsPbBr₃ quantum dots and formed CsEuBr₃ quantum dots, which resulted in a blue emission. Meanwhile, a green emission from CsPbBr₃ quantum dots and a red emission originally from Eu³⁺ in the glass matrix can also be observed by controlling the heat treatment temperature. A light-emitting diode is designed based on the prepared Eu-doped quantum dot glass without doping any phosphors, and a warm light with CCT at 4075 K is obtained. The present work provides a new luminescence tunable design principle for europium-doped quantum dot glass materials and could inspire the future exploration of rare earth ion-doped quantum dot glass materials.

Stable Ultraconcentrated and Ultradilute Colloids of CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br) Nanocrystals Using Natural Lecithin as a Capping Ligand

Attaining thermodynamic stability of colloids in a broad range of concentrations has long been a major thrust in the field of colloidal ligand-capped semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs). This challenge is particularly pressing for the novel NCs of cesium lead halide perovskites (CsPbX₃; X = Cl, Br) owing to their highly dynamic and labile surfaces. Herein, we demonstrate that soy lecithin, a mass-produced natural phospholipid, serves as a tightly binding surface-capping ligand suited for a high-reaction yield synthesis of CsPbX₃ NCs (6–10 nm) and allowing for long-term retention of the colloidal and structural integrity of CsPbX₃ NCs in a broad range of concentrations—from a few ng/mL to >400 mg/mL (inorganic core mass). The high colloidal stability achieved with this long-chain zwitterionic ligand can be rationalized with the Alexander–De Gennes model that considers the increased particle–particle repulsion due to branched chains and ligand polydispersity. The versatility and immense practical utility of such colloids is showcased by the single NC spectroscopy on ultradilute samples and, conversely, by obtaining micrometer-thick, optically homogeneous dense NC films in a single spin-coating step from ultraconcentrated colloids.

Research on Luminance Distributions of Chip-On-Board Light-Emitting Diodes

Chip-On-Board Light-Emitting Diodes (COB LED) are increasingly more common. Their development in recent years has directly contributed to increasing the power of LED sources, whilst simultaneously increasing the luminous flux from the entire COB. Consequently, it has led to new developments in some applications. Information regarding the size of the light source luminous surface and luminance distribution on its surface is critical for a designer whilst designing optical systems. The purpose of this conducted research was to establish to what extent luminance distribution is even on the examined COB LEDs. In order to verify luminance distributions on an LED surface, direct measurements with a matrix luminance measuring device were made. As a result of the research, it has been observed that luminance distribution is not even, and in many cases luminance maximum does not fall in the geometric center of the luminous surface, which was initially expected. So, it has been concluded that while designing optical systems for COB LEDs, irregular luminance distribution on their surface needs to be considered.

Direct Synthesis of Quaternary Alkylammonium-Capped Perovskite Nanocrystals for Efficient Blue and Green Light-Emitting Diodes

Cesium lead halide nanocrystals (CsPbX3 NCs) are new inorganic light sources covering the entire visible spectral range and exhibiting near-unity efficiencies. While the last years have seen rapid progress in green and red electroluminescence from CsPbX3 NCs, the development of blue counterparts remained rather stagnant. Controlling the surface state of CsPbX3 NCs had proven to be a major factor governing the efficiency of the charge injection and for diminishing the density of traps. Although didodecyldimethylammonium halides (DDAX; X = Br, Cl) had been known to improve the luminescence of CsPbX3 NCs when applied postsynthetically, they had not been used as the sole long-chain ammonium ligand directly in the synthesis of these NCs. Herein we report a facile, direct synthesis of DDAX-stabilized CsPbX3 NCs. We then demonstrate blue and green light-emitting diodes, characterized by the electroluminescence at 463-515 nm and external quantum efficiencies of 9.80% for green, 4.96% for sky-blue, and 1.03% for deep-blue spectral regions.

Light Generation in Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals: LEDs, Color Converters, Lasers, and Other Applications

Facile solution processing lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP-NCs) exhibit superior properties in light generation, including a wide color gamut, a high flexibility for tuning emissive wavelengths, a great defect tolerance and resulting high quantum yield; and intriguing electric feature of ambipolar transport with moderate and comparable mobility. As a result, LHP-NCs have accomplished great achievements in various light generation applications, including color converters for lighting and display, light-emitting diodes, low threshold lasing, X-ray scintillators, and single photon emitters. Herein, the considerable progress that has been made thus far is reviewed along with the current challenges and future prospects in the light generation applications of LHP-NCs.

Ultrastable Carbon Quantum Dots-Doped MAPbBr3 Perovskite with Silica Encapsulation

Having suffered from intrinsic structural lability, perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) are extremely unstable under high-temperature and moisture conditions, which have greatly limited their applications. In this work, we propose a novel method to synthesize ultrastable carbon quantum dots (CQDs)-doped methylamine (MA) lead bromide PQDs with SiO₂ encapsulation (CQDs-MAPbBr₃@SiO₂). The kernel CQDs-MAPbBr₃ is formed by the interaction of carboxyl-rich CQDs with MAPbBr₃ via H-bond, which greatly improves the thermal stability of CQDs-MAPbBr₃. Furthermore, highly compact SiO₂ encapsulates the proposed CQDs-MAPbBr₃ via a facile in situ growth strategy, which effectively enhances the water resistance and air stability of CQDs-MAPbBr₃@SiO₂. As a result, the proposed nanomaterial shows extremely high water stability in aqueous solution for over 9 months and ideal thermal stability with strong fluorescence (FL) emission after 150 °C annealing. Based on the superior stability and ultrahigh FL efficiency of this proposed nanomaterial, a primary sensing method for ion (Ag⁺ and Zn²⁺) FL detection has been developed and the mechanism of PQDs-based ion determination has also been discussed, thus exhibiting the potential applications of CQDs-MAPbBr₃@SiO₂ in the area of FL assay and environment monitoring.

Optical Characteristics of ZnCuInS/ZnS (Core/Shell) Nanocrystal Flexible Films Under X-Ray Excitation

The aim of this article is to evaluate optical characteristics, such as the intrinsic conversion efficiency and the inherent light propagation efficiency of three polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/methyl methacrylate (MMA) composite ZnCuInS/ZnS (core/shell) nanocrystal flexible films. The concentrations of these were 100 mg/mL, 150 mg/mL, and 250 mg/mL, respectively. Composite films were prepared by homogeneously diluting dry powder quantum dot (QD) samples in toluene and subsequently mixing these with a PMMA/MMA polymer solution. The absolute luminescence efficiency (AE) of the films was measured using X-ray excitation. A theoretical model describing the optical photon propagation in scintillator materials was used to calculate the fraction of the generated optical photons passed through the different material layers. Finally, the intrinsic conversion efficiency was calculated by considering the QD quantum yield and the optical photon emission spectrum.

Perovskite Downconverters for Efficient, Excellent Color-Rendering, and Circadian Solid-State Lighting

Advances in materials, color rendering metrics and studies on biological effects promote the design for novel solid-state lighting sources that are highly energy efficient, excellent at color rendering and healthy for human circadian rhythms. Recently, perovskite nanocrystals have emerged as narrow-band, low-cost, color-tunable downconverters, elevating the design and development of solid-state lighting to a new level. Here, we perform a systematic optimization of using perovskite nanocrystals as downconverters to simultaneously optimize vision energy efficiency, color rendering quality and circadian action effect of lighting sources at both fixed and tunable color temperatures. Further analysis reveals the inherent differences in central wavelength and bandwidth preferences for different cases, providing a general guideline for designing circadian lighting. Through systematic optimization, highly efficient circadian lighting sources with excellent color rendering can be achieved.