The newest research reports related to the recently discovered class of carbonaceous nanomaterials – carbon quantum dots, CQD - underline their outstanding properties as new luminophors, confirm their superior performance as bioimaging agents, while pointing out other potential applications. One of the top-down, controlled, synthesis routes for passivated and highly-fluorescent CQDs was developed in the Prof. Ya-Ping Sun's laboratory at Clemson University. High emission quantum yields, high PL stability, as well as efficient cellular uptake were probed for these dots of about 5 nm diameter. It is broadly agreed that deeper fundamental research on the photophysical properties of these nanocarbons promise to reveal their potential to become an important component in various other applications.

In this context, the project aims at demonstrating the functionality of optoelectronic devices based on CQDs by thoroughly understanding from experimental and theoretical point of views the electronic, optical, and transport properties of the appropriately modified CQDs.

Four teams from two Romanian research organizations - IMT-Bucharest: Center of Nanotechologies and Micro-Nano Photonics Laboratory, Babes-Bolyai University: Center of Supramolecular Organic and Organometallic Chemistry and Faculty of Physics - and one team from Clemson University, SUA - as voluntary group - have engaged in this project in order to enlarge both the fundamental knowledge, and the application scope of this exciting material. The research activities of this multidisciplinary consortium are spanning from the primary synthesis, extensive characterization, quantum modeling, and device performance evaluation and are intended to bring an essential expansion of scientific knowledge and insight for at least two major applications of this new nanomaterial in optoelectronics: OLED devices, and photovoltaic cells. In addition, the project is designed to provide significant educational impact, by offering positions for graduates and post-doctoral fellows, one of which will have the opportunity to work in the laboratory of Prof. Y.P. Sun at Clemson University, through an exchange student program.

 

Work plan summary

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Milestones

 

WP1

• Characterization of first generation CQD (synthesized at Clemson University) - optical and electronic properties

WP2

• Developing optimized deposition technologies of  CQD layers with good morphological properties - LBL, DPN, SL
• Optimizing the technology for obtaining layers of CQD with good properties for the envisaged devices - optical, electronic and morphological analysis

WP3

• Functional testing of CQD-based devices – PV Schottky device and cathode/CQD/anode layer optoelectronic devices
• Testing the functionality of multilayer architecture
• Optimization of the devices based on the further generations of CQDs

WP4

• Developing improved, second generation CQDs by tuning the electronic and transport properties through surface engineering - passivation, optimal capping ligands

WP5

• Full characterization of passivated CQDs

WP6

• Understanding the electronic, optical and transport properties of bare and passivated CQD using first principles calculations and phenomenological methods