Stability Study of PbSe Semiconductor Nanocrystals over Concentration, Size, Atmosphere, and Light Exposure

Infrared-emitting PbSe nanocrystals are of increasing interest in both fundamental research and technical application. However, the practical applications are greatly limited by their poor stability. In this work, absorption and photoluminescence spectra of PbSe nanocrystals were utilized to observe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Langmuir 2009-10, Vol.25 (20), p.12320-12324
Main Authors: Dai, Quanqin, Wang, Yingnan, Zhang, Yu, Li, Xinbi, Li, Ruowang, Zou, Bo, Seo, JaeTae, Wang, Yiding, Liu, Manhong, Yu, William W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absorption
Air
Atmosphere
Chemistry
Colloidal state and disperse state
Darkness
Exact sciences and technology
General and physical chemistry
Lead - chemistry
Light
Materials: Nano-and Mesostructured Materials, Polymers, Gels, Liquid Crystals, Composites
Nanoparticles - chemistry
Nitrogen - chemistry
Particle Size
Selenium Compounds - chemistry
Semiconductors
Solutions
Surface physical chemistry
Time Factors
Ultraviolet Rays
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Summary:Infrared-emitting PbSe nanocrystals are of increasing interest in both fundamental research and technical application. However, the practical applications are greatly limited by their poor stability. In this work, absorption and photoluminescence spectra of PbSe nanocrystals were utilized to observe the stability of PbSe nanocrystals over several conventional factors, that is, particle concentration, particle size, temperature, light exposure, contacting atmosphere, and storage forms (solution or solid powder). Both absorption and luminescence spectra of PbSe nanocrystals exposed to air showed dependence on particle concentration, size, and light exposure, which caused large and quick blue-shifts in the optical spectra. This air-contacted instability arising from the destructive oxidation and subsequent collision-induced decomposition was kinetically dominated and differed from the traditional thought that smaller particles with lower concentrations shrank fast. The photoluminescence emission intensity of the PbSe nanocrystal solution under ultraviolet (UV) exposure in air increased first and then decreased slowly; without UV irradiation, the emission intensity monotonously decreased over time. However, if stored under nitrogen, no obvious changes in absorption and photoluminescence spectra of the PbSe nanocrystals were observed even under UV exposure or upon being heated up to 100 °C.
ISSN:0743-7463
1520-5827
DOI:10.1021/la9015614