Pseudomorphic Synthesis of Monodisperse Afterglow Carbon Dot‐Doped SiO2 Microparticles for Photonic Crystals

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 35; no. 48; pp. e2307198 - n/a
• Main Authors: Chen, Xue, Wang, Yu, Peng, Chenxi, Hu, Wenbo, Wu, Zhongbin, Xu, Weidong, Wu, Suli, Luo, Zhi, Suh, Yung Doug, Atabaev, Timur Sh, Li, Xiyan, Liu, Xiaowang, Huang, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2023
• Subjects: afterglow nanoparticles; Afterglows; Atomic energy levels; Carbon dots; Hydrogen bonds; Immersion coating; Microparticles; Morphology; Optoelectronics; Photonic crystals; Silicon dioxide; Synthesis
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202307198

Synthesizing monodisperse afterglow microparticles (MPs) is crucial for creating photonic crystal (PC) platforms with multiple optical states for optoelectronics. However, achieving high uniformity in both size and morphology is challenging for inorganic afterglow MPs using conventional methods. In this contribution, a novel approach for the synthesis of carbon dot (CD)‐doped SiO2 MPs with tunable afterglow properties and size distributions is reported. These mechanism studies suggest that the pseudomorphic transformation of SiO2 MPs enables CD doping, providing a hydrogen bond‐enriched environment for triplet state stabilization, which generates green afterglow while retaining the uniformity in size and morphology of the parent SiO2 MPs. Furthermore, the utility of CD‐doped SiO2 MPs in the fabrication of rationally designed PC patterns is shown using a combined consecutive dip‐coating and laser‐assisted etching strategy. The pattern displays multiple optical responses under different lighting conditions, including angle‐dependent structural colors and blue luminescence under daylight and upon 365‐nm irradiation, respectively, as well as time‐dependent green afterglow after ceasing UV excitation. The findings pave the way for further controlling the dynamics of spontaneous emissions by PCs to enable complicated optical states for advanced photonics. It is reported that the pseudomorphic transformation of SiO2 microparticles (MPs) allows for effective carbon dots doping, leading to the generation of green afterglow of the resultant MPs. The afterglow MPs could be rationally fabricated to photonic crystals, which exhibit angle‐dependent structural color, blue luminescence, and time‐dependent green afterglow after the cessation of UV excitation.