Emergence of near-infrared photoluminescence via ZnS shell growth on the AgBiS₂ nanocrystals

Abstract

AgBiS2 nanocrystals (NCs), composed of nontoxic, earth-abundant materials and exhibiting an exceptionally high absorption coefficient from visible to near-infrared (>105 cm(-1)), hold promise for photovoltaics but have lack of photoluminescence (PL) due to intrinsic nonradiative recombination and challenging shell growth. In this study, we reported a facile wet-chemical approach for the epitaxial growth of ZnS shell on AgBiS2 NCs, which triggered the observation of PL emission in the near-infrared (764 nm). Since high quality of the core is critical for epitaxial shell growth, we first obtained rock-salt structured AgBiS2 NCs with high crystallinity, nearly spherical shape and monodisperse size distribution (<6%) via a dual-ligand approach reacting Ag-Bi oleate with elemental sulfur in oleylamine. Next, a zincblende ZnS shell with a low-lattice mismatch of 4.9% was grown on as-prepared AgBiS2 NCs via a highly reactive zinc (Zn(acac)(2)) precursor that led to a higher photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 15.3%, in comparison with a relatively low reactivity precursor (Zn(ac)(2)) resulting in reduced PLQY. The emission from AgBiS2 NCs with ultrastrong absorption, facilitated by shell growth, can open up new possibilities in lighting, display, and bioimaging.