Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Surface chemistry governs the optical performance of InP quantum dots (QDs), but strategies for preparing highly emissive InP/ZnS materials often rely on hazardous fluoride treatments. Here, treatment of carboxylate-capped InP QDs with PCl3 before ZnS shell growth increases the photoluminescence quantum yield from 5.5% to 70% without HF. 31P NMR spectroscopy and time-resolved small angle neutron scattering show that PCl3 removes surface carboxylates through formation of tricarboxyphosphite species. PCl3 treatment alone does not enhance emission, demonstrating that surface modification instead enables more effective passivation during shelling. These results establish controlled ligand stripping as an HF-free strategy for engineering the InP/ZnS interface and reveal how surface coordination can modulate the electronic structure and subsequent passivation of InP nanocrystals.
Source: ChemRxiv
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, Government of the United Kingdom, Henry Royce Institute, Leverhulme Trust, European Commission, Keele University, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council, European Regional Development Fund, Division of Materials Research
Awards: G1015058392, HarwellXPS: A National Research Facility in XPS, G1052377233, G1057989074, G134479384, G1440776884, G1689194922, HarwellXPS: A National Research Facility in XPS, G2026643092, G2113607801, G2158237762, G2703599441, G3305536412, G3537589354, G3609713704, HarwellXPS: Renewal of NRF in Photoelectron spectroscopy, G3849194948, G4067694318, G4310665315, Sir Henry Royce Institute - Manchester and NNL Equipment, SPIQuE: Semiconductor Photonics with InP Quantum Emitters, G504327055, G5424142534, G5463057615, G567189637, G5752813835, Sir Henry Royce Institute - Manchester Build, G6148779978, G6172440890, World class Science and Innovation with Neutrons in Europe 2020 – SINE2020, G6271517897, The Royce: Capitalising on the investment, G708391930, IMR-MIP DANSE - Distributed Data Analysis for Neutron Scattering Experiments - CNST, G7191183440, G7291527660, G7348196811, G7445816383, G7514479249, Molecular Models for III-V Quantum Dots, HarwellXPS: A National Research Facility in XPS, Sir Henry Royce InsStitute - recurrent grant, Harwell XPS, G87373762, G8841701813
OpenAlex ID: W7223273528