Graphene QDs yield bright blue AC-electroluminescence
As a research project of Global Frontier Program – KAIST Advanced Battery Center, Professor Seokwoo Jeon’s research team sought to improve the photoluminescence of GQDs for their use as an active electroluminescent (EL) material in light-emitting devices.
Emerging GQDs have attracted significant attention for use as a next-generation EL material due to their biocompatibility, low-cost fabrication, and excellent optical properties. However, in the solid-state, they show complete loss of photoluminescence (PL) due to the π-interaction induced aggregation-caused PL quenching.
Demonstrating a novel, simple approach, the research team were able to build efficient solid-state photoluminescent GQD embedded in boron oxynitride powder (GQD@BNO) for a highly bright alternating-current powder electroluminescent (ACPEL) device.
The effective dispersal of GQDs in the BNO matrix significantly suppressed the aggregation effects, resulting in a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PL-QY) of up to 36.4 %, eight-fold higher than that of pristine GQDs in water, the researchers reported.
According to their analysis, the PL-QY enhancement results from an increase in the spontaneous emission rate of GQDs due to the surrounding BNO matrix, which provides a high refractive index material and fluorescence energy transfer from the larger gap BNO donor to the smaller gap GQD acceptor.
The efficient dielectric environment of the BNO matrix makes GQD@BNO a suitable active material for use in ACPEL devices, with the luminance of the first working GQDs-based ACPEL device exceeding 283 cd m-2.
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) – www.kaist.ac.kr