Multicolor Tuning of Manganese-Doped ZnS Colloidal Nanocrystals

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 25; no. 17; pp. 10259 - 10262
• Main Authors: Quan, Zewei, Yang, Dongmei, Li, Chunxia, Kong, Deyan, Yang, Piaoping, Cheng, Ziyong, Lin, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01.09.2009
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry - methods; Colloidal state and disperse state; Colloids - chemistry; Crystallization; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Light; Luminescence; Manganese - chemistry; Materials: Nano-and Mesostructured Materials, Polymers, Gels, Liquid Crystals, Composites; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission - methods; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanotechnology - methods; Photochemistry - methods; Sulfides - chemistry; Surface physical chemistry; Surface Properties; X-Ray Diffraction; Zinc Compounds - chemistry; Transition element compounds; Doping; Photoluminescence; Ions; Transition metal; Potential; X ray diffraction; Wavelength; Transmission electron microscopy; Distribution; Aqueous solution; Energy transfer; Nanocrystal; Manganese
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la901056d

In this paper, we report a facile route which is based on tuning doping concentration of Mn2+ ions in ZnS nanocrystals, to achieve deliberate color modulation from blue to orange-yellow under single-wavelength excitation. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as well as photoluminescence (PL) spectra were employed to characterize the obtained samples. In this process, the relative emission intensities of both ZnS host (blue) and Mn2+ dopant (orange-yellow) are sensitive to the Mn2+ doping concentration, due to the energy transfer from ZnS host to Mn2+ dopant. As a result of fine-tuning of these two emission components, white emission can be realized for Mn2+-doped ZnS nanocrystals. Furthermore, the as-synthesized doped nanocrystals possess extremely narrow size distribution and can be readily transferred into aqueous solution for the next potential applications.