Mn doped AIZS/ZnS nanocrystals: Synthesis and optical properties

Abstract

In this work, Mn doped AIZS/ZnS (Mn:AIZS/ZnS) nanocrystals (NCs) have been synthesized in an approach using heat-up and drop-wise addition of precursors. On the basis of the characterization of these doped NCs on their optical properties and materials, it is found that: (1) as more Mn atoms are doped into NCs, the doped NCs present photoluminescence (PL) red-shift and quantum yield quenching; (2) the doped NCs possess a short PL lifetime in tens of microseconds and a long PL lifetime in hundreds of microseconds, and the short lived PL is more dominant than the long lived one; and (3) the doped NCs present a reversible PL thermal quenching in a range from room temperature to 170 °C. Possible PL mechanisms of these NCs were discussed by analyzing their time-resolved PL spectra and thermal stability.