Bandgap Engineering of InP QDs Through Shell Thickness and Composition
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
Fields as diverse as biological imaging and telecommunications utilize the unique photophysical and electronic properties of nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs). The development of new NQD compositions promises material properties optimized for specific applications, while addressing material toxicity. Indium phosphide (InP) offers a 'green' alternative to the traditional cadmium-based NQDs, but suffers from extreme susceptibility to oxidation. Coating InP cores with more stable shell materials significantly improves nanocrystal resistance to oxidation and photostability. We have investigated several new InP-based core-shell compositions, correlating our results with theoretical predictions of their optical and electronic properties. Specifically, we can tailor the InP core-shell QDs to a type-I, quasi-type-II, or type-II bandgap structure with emission wavelengths ranging from 500-1300 nm depending on the shell material used (ZnS, ZnSe, CdS, or CdSe) and the thickness of the shell. Single molecule microscopy assessments of photobleaching and blinking are used to correlate NQD properties with shell thickness.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1044830
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-12-22430; TRN: US201214%%514
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Chemical Society ; 2012-03-25 - 2012-03-25 ; San Diego, California, United States
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Process-Dependent Properties in Colloidally Synthesized “Giant” Core/Shell Nanocrystal Quantum Dots
Bandgap Engineering of Indium Phosphide-Based Core/Shell Heterostructures Through Shell Composition and Thickness