Panchromatic and High-efficient Energy Transfer Assembly Based on Type I Core-shell Quantum Dots

Abstract

In order to overcome the low energy transfer efficiency of the conventional FRET (Forster resonance energy transfer) system, a novel spectra-matching and distance-controllable CIS@ZnS-SQ FRET assembly has been prepared via ultrasonic self-assembly method, by using the synthesized visible CIS@ZnS type I core-shell quantum dots as energy donor and the near infrared SQ dyes as acceptor. Through controllable synthesis of quantum dots, the absorption and fluorescence performance of FRET system were adjusted by the size of CIS@ZnS, while the distance of energy donor-acceptor and the non-valid charge recombination in the FRET system were controlled by the wide-band shell of quantum dots. The excitons transfer and recombination kinetics in CIS@ZnS-SQ assembly were investigated by the pump-probe femtosecond ultrafast transient absorption measurements, with which results in the FRET-type energy transfer mechanism: CIS*+SQ→CIS+SQ* has been proven and a high energy transfer rate of about 5.0×10 s has been gained between CIS@ZnS and SQ. The excitons’ lifetime and FRET energy transfer efficiency were calculated from the fluorescence decay kinetic curves tested by time-resolved fluorescence measurements. The results show that the energy transfer in CIS@ZnS-SQ depends on the size of CIS@ZnS quantum dots. As the size of CIS@ZnS (mainly refers to the ZnS shell thickness) increases from 2.1±0.4 nm to 2.9±0.4 nm, 4.1±0.3 nm, 5.4±0.5 nm and 7.2±0.5 nm, the fluorescence quantum yield of CIS@ZnS improves from 5.4% to 26%, 33%, 38% and 43.3% as well as the distance between CIS@ZnS and SQ (energy donor and acceptor) increases gradually, which makes the FRET energy transfer efficiency (ηFRET) first rise and then decline. As a result, an optimal ηFRET value of 62.8% was gained in the FRET assembly when the reaction time of ZnS shell was 20 min. This research will have a promising theoretical and practical value for the development of the panchromatic and high-efficiency solar cells.