CsPbCl3:Yb3+ nanocrystals: Adverse effects of colloidally stable ytterbium-rich reaction by-products on luminescent down-conversion performance

The development of near infra-red (NIR) emitting down-converters is a promising route for improving photovoltaic output through efficient light management. Quantum-cutting Yb3+-doped CsPbCl3 nanocrystals (NCs) are interesting for this application due to their high photoluminescence quantum yields (P...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mathis Van de Voorde, Damien Hudry, Dmitry Busko, Bryce S. Richards, Rebecca Saive
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Optical Materials: X
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590147825000099
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Summary:The development of near infra-red (NIR) emitting down-converters is a promising route for improving photovoltaic output through efficient light management. Quantum-cutting Yb3+-doped CsPbCl3 nanocrystals (NCs) are interesting for this application due to their high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY >100 %) and attractive NIR spectral properties which include high absorption cross section and minimal overlap between absorption and emission spectra. In this work, we fabricated CsPbCl3:Yb3+ NCs with the hot-injection method and studied them using structural/optical characterization methods such as x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield measurements. We found that the hot-injection method is susceptible to the formation of colloidally stable Yb-rich reaction by-products. After separating these by-products from the NCs, NIR PLQY increased by a relative 46 %. Although the PLQY values recorded in this study are 4–7 times lower than in other studies, these findings may explain some discrepancies in photoluminescence efficiency reported with this material.
ISSN:2590-1478