Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Nanostructures for White Light Emission

We have synthesized unique hybrid semiconductors composed of periodic alternating layers of inorganic and organic components. These hybrid nanostructures have potential applications in photovoltaic, optoelectronic, and solid state lighting. The incorporation of organic ligands between the inorganic layers leads to an enhancement of the absorption coefficient and mechanical flexibility. Furthermore, inserting organic amines in these crystal lattices reduces the thermal conductivity without any significant effect on the electrical conductivity. It also induces a strong structure-induced quantum confinement effect. As a result, the band gap can be tuned over a wide range by modifying the crystal structure, dimensionality and thickness of the inorganic motifs.

We describe II-VI based hybrids composed of alternating layers of double atomic slabs of Zn2S2 and organic amine molecules that are capable of generating direct white light. We reveal the versatility of such hybrids by demonstrating that by changing the composition and doping levels, their band gap and photoluminescence can be systematically tuned. The ability to tune the optical, electrical, and thermal properties of such organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures makes them highly versatile materials for a range of energy generation and conversion devices.