Bright CuInS<sub>2</sub>/CdS nanocrystal phosphors for high-gain full-spectrum luminescent solar concentrators

Knowles, Kathryn E.; Kilburn, Troy B.; Alzate, Dane G.; McDowall, Stephen; Gamelin, Daniel R.

doi:10.1039/c5cc02007g

Cited by 95 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…However, the applicability of these HNCs is severely limited by the toxicity of Cd. Ternary copper chalcogenides, such as CIS and CISe, have been proposed as nontoxic alternatives, as they are also characterized by large Stokes shifts . This potential has been recently validated by the fabrication of a LSC plate (12×12×0.3 cm 3 ) with an optical efficiency of 3.2 % at λ =960 nm by using CuIn(S,Se) 2 /ZnS core–shell QDs (PL QY: 40 %) embedded into poly(lauryl methacrylate) plates .…”

Section: Ternary Copper Chalcogenidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects of Colloidal Copper Chalcogenide Nanocrystals

2016

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Over the past few years, colloidal copper chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional Cd and Pb chalcogenide NCs. Owing to their wide size, shape, and composition tunability, Cu chalcogenide NCs hold great promise for several applications, such as photovoltaics, lighting and displays, and biomedical imaging. They also offer characteristics that are unparalleled by Cd and Pb chalcogenide NCs, such as plasmonic properties. Moreover, colloidal Cu chalcogenide NCs have low toxicity, potentially lower costs, and excellent colloidal stability. This makes them attractive materials for the large-scale deployment of inexpensive, sustainable, and environmentally benign solution-processed devices. Nevertheless, the synthesis of colloidal Cu chalcogenide NCs, especially that of ternary and quaternary compositions, has yet to reach the same level of mastery as that available for the prototypical Cd chalcogenide based NCs. This review provides a concise overview of this rapidly advancing field, sketching the state of the art and highlighting the key challenges. We discuss recent developments in the synthesis of size-, shape-, and composition-controlled NCs of Cu chalcogenides, with emphasis in strategies to circumvent the limitations arising from the need to precisely balance the reactivities of multiple precursors in synthesizing ternary and quaternary compositions. In this respect, we show that topotactic cation-exchange reactions are a promising alternative route to complex multinary Cu chalcogenide NCs and hetero-NCs, which are not attainable by conventional routes. The properties and potential applications of Cu chalcogenide NCs and hetero-NCs are also addressed.

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Section: Ternary Copper Chalcogenidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospects of Colloidal Copper Chalcogenide Nanocrystals

2016

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“…Copper‐based ternary chalcogenide NCs are low‐toxicity alternatives to Cd‐ and Pb‐based quantum dots, both of which have been widely studied for photon down‐conversion, photon up‐conversion, luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), solar cells, light‐emitting diodes, and bio‐imaging . Over the past two decades, Cu‐In‐S ternary NCs have been synthetically optimized and commercialized .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue Light Emitting Defective Nanocrystals Composed of Earth‐Abundant Elements

et al. 2019

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Copper‐based ternary (I–III–VI) chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) are compositionally‐flexible semiconductors that do not contain lead (Pb) or cadmium (Cd). Cu‐In‐S NCs are the dominantly studied member of this important materials class and have been reported to contain optically‐active defect states. However, there are minimal reports of In‐free compositions that exhibit efficient photoluminescence (PL). Here, we report a novel solution‐phase synthesis of ≈4 nm defective nanocrystals (DNCs) composed of copper, aluminum, zinc, and sulfur with ≈20 % quantum yield and an attractive PL maximum of 450 nm. Extensive spectroscopic characterization suggests the presence of highly localized electronic states resulting in reasonably fast PL decays (≈1 ns), large vibrational energy spacing, small Stokes shift, and temperature‐independent PL linewidth and PL lifetime (between room temperature and ≈5 K). Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest PL transitions arise from defects within a CuAl5S8 crystal lattice, which supports the experimental observation of highly‐localized states. The results reported here provide a new material with unique optoelectronic characteristics that is an important analog to well‐explored Cu‐In‐S NCs.

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“…The maximum quantum optical efficiency of the device, calculated through optical measurements, is reported to be 26.5%, demonstrating a rather poor optical quality of the polymeric matrix, if compared to the 81% QY. [102] Indeed, by comparing solution-phase LSCs based on CuInS 2 /CdS QDs with the ones employing Cd 0.999 Cu 0.001 Se QDs or giant CdSe/CdS QDs, the ternary semiconductor nanocrystals are outperforming both Cd-based QDs, in spite of a larger spectral overlap and lower absorption interval when compared to the doped QDs. [99] This inconsistent value is likely to be mostly related to: (i) the low quality of the highly scattering matrix, as proved by the relatively high PCE of the Si-PV cell when attached to the pure PMMA slab (no QDs); and (ii) the small size of the device.…”

Section: Ternary Alloys and Environmentally Friendly Chalcogenidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Renaissance of Luminescent Solar Concentrators: The Role of Inorganic Nanomaterials

Mazzaro

Vomiero

2018

Advanced Energy Materials

123

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While luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) have a simple architecture—a transparent matrix embedding a luminescent fluorophore coupled with solar cells at the lateral side of the LSC slab—multiple paths for possible light losses exist. These are inherently interconnected, and in the past, limited the interest in this device, due to the gap between the theoretical possibilities and experimental achievements. This gap was a result, primarily, of the optical features of the luminescent dyes, since conventional organic luminophores are affected by limited performance in LSC devices. The rise of a wide portfolio of optically active inorganic nanomaterials in the last decade provides an alternative to organic dyes and has lead to a renaissance in the role of LSCs among the unconventional solar energy conversion devices. This paper reviews the latest results in the development of LSCs based on different classes of nanomaterials, focusing on the specific features and critically analyzing the pros and cons of the proposed structures. Particular attention is devoted to the role of the luminescence properties, e.g., the Stokes shift and the photoluminescence quantum yield, with respect to the performance of the LSC device. Future challenges to the successful employment of these devices for building integrated photovoltaics are also discussed.

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Bright CuInS₂/CdS nanocrystal phosphors for high-gain full-spectrum luminescent solar concentrators

Cited by 95 publications

References 27 publications

Prospects of Colloidal Copper Chalcogenide Nanocrystals

Prospects of Colloidal Copper Chalcogenide Nanocrystals

Blue Light Emitting Defective Nanocrystals Composed of Earth‐Abundant Elements

The Renaissance of Luminescent Solar Concentrators: The Role of Inorganic Nanomaterials

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Bright CuInS2/CdS nanocrystal phosphors for high-gain full-spectrum luminescent solar concentrators

Cited by 95 publications

References 27 publications

Prospects of Colloidal Copper Chalcogenide Nanocrystals

Prospects of Colloidal Copper Chalcogenide Nanocrystals

Blue Light Emitting Defective Nanocrystals Composed of Earth‐Abundant Elements

The Renaissance of Luminescent Solar Concentrators: The Role of Inorganic Nanomaterials

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Product

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Bright CuInS₂/CdS nanocrystal phosphors for high-gain full-spectrum luminescent solar concentrators