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Bright Silicon Nanocrystals from a Liquid Precursor: Quasi-Direct Recombination with High Quantum Yield
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Bright Silicon Nanocrystals from a Liquid Precursor: Quasi-Direct Recombination with High Quantum Yield

Todd A. Pringle, Katharine Hunter, Alexandra Brumberg, Kenneth J. Anderson, Jeffrey A. Fagan, Salim A. Thomas, Reed J. Petersen, Mahmud Sefannaser, Yulun Han, Samuel L. Brown, …
ACS nano, v 14(4), pp 3858-3867
28 Apr 2020
PMID: 32150383
url
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1751929View
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Abstract

Chemistry Chemistry, Multidisciplinary Chemistry, Physical Materials Science Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Physical Sciences Science & Technology Science & Technology - Other Topics Technology
Silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) with bright bandgap photoluminescence (PL) are of current interest for a range of potential applications, from solar windows to biomedical contrast agents. Here, we use the liquid precursor cyclohexasilane (Si6H12) for the plasma synthesis of colloidal SiNCs with exemplary core emission. Through size separation executed in an oxygen-shielded environment, we achieve PL quantum yields (QYs) approaching 70% while exposing intrinsic constraints on efficient core emission from smaller SiNCs. Time-resolved PL spectra of these fractions in response to femtosecond pulsed excitation reveal a zero-phonon radiative channel that anticorrelates with QY, which we model using advanced computational methods applied to a 2 nm SiNC. Our results offer additional insight into the photophysical interplay of the nanocrystal surface, quasi-direct recombination, and efficient SiNC core PL.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chemistry, Physical
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
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