Light-Generating CdSe/CdS Colloidal Quantum Dot-Doped Plastic Optical Fibers

Abstract

Colloidal quantum dots (cQDs) are now a mature nanomaterial with optical properties customizable through varying size and composition. However, their use in optical devices is limited as they are not widely available in convenient forms such as optical fibers. With advances in polymerization methods incorporating nanocrystals, nanocomposite materials suitable for processing into high quality hybrid active fibers can be achieved. We demonstrate a plastic optical fiber fabrication method which ensures homogeneous dispersion of cQDs within a polymer core matrix. Loading concentrations between 10 11 and 10 13 CdSe/CdS cQDs per cm 3 in polystyrene were electronically imaged, confirming only sporadic subwavelength aggregates. Rayleigh scattering losses are therefore dominant at energies below the semiconductors' band gap, but are overtaken by a sharp CdS-related absorption onset around 525 nm facilitating cQD excitation. The red-shifted photoluminescence emission is then minimally reabsorbed along the fiber with a spectrum barely affected by the polymerization and a quantum yield staying at ∼65% of its initial value. The latter, along with the glass transition temperature and refractive index, is independent of the cQD concentration, hence yielding a proportionally increasing light output. Our cQD-doped fibers are photostable to within 5% over days showing great promise for functional material applications.

Review of the Fundamental Principles and Performances on Lminescent Solar Concentrators

“…Representative studies include the introduction of LSCs into microreactors to improve the efficiency of photochemical reactions [21], using LSCs to provide light at the specific wavelengths required for crop or protein growth [22,23], and using LSCs to increase the photostability and efficiency of water electrolysis reactions [24]. Additionally, LSCs have been considered for application in the form of optical fibers [25][26][27].…”

Ultrafast photoluminescence and multiscale light amplification in nanoplasmonic cavity glass

“…Therefore, it is urgent to fill this gap in order to exploit the potential of plexcitonic materials as optical elements, including fibers; optical waveguides; photosensitive glasses; transmitting, reflecting, and chirped Bragg gratings or phase plates 35 . Both polymers 36 , 37 and glasses 35 , 38 – 41 have been utilized as matrices for doping with QDs or plasmonic NPs. However, the incorporation of NPs into polymers is associated with many obstacles, such as the agglomeration in polymer precursors and the separation from the matrix.…”