Tunable Luminescence of Sb3+ Doped 0D Cs4PbCl6 Nanocrystals from Three Distinct Emission Centers

Metal halide nanocrystals (NCs) with multiple emission centers are high-potential luminescent materials used in versatile optoelectronic applications. However, technical challenges hinder the achievement of tunable emission bands in single-component NCs. In this study, by elaborately using 0D Cs4PbCl6 to design Cs4PbCl6:Sb3+ NCs, multiple photoluminescence excited at specific energies without energy transfer occurred owing to the isolated and distinct centers in the 0D frame. The three emission centers at 368, 450 and 570 nm can be assigned to the P-3(1) -> S-1(0) transition of Pb2+ ions, D-state emission of Pb2+ ions, and P-3(1) -> S-1(0) transition of Sb3+ ions, respectively. The emission colors of Cs4PbCl6:Sb3+ NCs can be easily tuned from ultraviolet to yellow by precisely modulating the excitation wavelength, and white-light emission at 360 nm excitation with a color coordinate of (0.3026, 0.3264) is obtained owing to the simultaneous activation of Sb3+ ions and the D-state. This study not only demonstrates a feasible scheme for designing multiple-emitting metal halide NCs but also provides guidance for expansion of their applications in flexible optoelectronic devices.

Automated summary

Metal halide nanocrystals with multiple emission centers were designed by using 0D Cs4PbCl6, which showed tunable photoluminescence excited at specific energies. The emission colors can be easily adjusted by modulating the excitation wavelength, and white-light emission was achieved under a specific excitation.