Synergetic effects of the co-doping transition metal ions and the silica-shell coating for enhancing the photoluminescence and stability of Mn: CsPbCl3 nanocrystals and their application

Doping Mn2+ ions into cesium lead halide CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) has been proven to be an effective strategy to reduce the Pb2+ content. However, excessive Mn2+ ions may form the Mn–Mn dimers in PNCs, leading to concentration quenching effects and low photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs). Herein, secondary metal ions (Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+) were introduced to substitute Pb2+ ions as co-doped (Mn, M):CsPbCl3 PNCs (M = Ni, Cu, Zn), which were prepared by a facile method under ambient conditions, aiming for positively passivating the surface defects and improving the Mn2+ emission. Also, to protect the co-doped (Mn, M):CsPbCl3 PNCs from moisture damage, we performed silica encapsulation, which further passivated surface defects due to the effective hydrolysis of silane. The evolution of optical properties and stabilities of three series of (Mn, M):CsPbCl3 PNCs was compared. The PLQYs of co-doped (Mn, M):CsPbCl3 PNCs were larger than those of single-doped Mn: CsPbCl3 PNCs, especially for (Mn, Ni):CsPbCl3 and (Mn, Cu):CsPbCl3, which can reach nearly 30%. The PLQYs of (Mn, Ni):CsPbCl3 and (Mn, Zn):CsPbCl3 PNCs decreased dramatically during the encapsulation process, while the PLQY values of (Mn, Cu):CsPbCl3 remained 30% even after the same treatment process. Consequently, the prototypes of white light-emitting devices (WLEDs) were successfully fabricated based on orange-red (Mn, Ni):CsPbCl3@SiO2 and (Mn, Zn):CsPbCl3@SiO2 composites. The synergetic effects of co-doping transition metal ions and silica-shell coating on improving optical properties and stabilities were investigated. It has potential for a wide range of applications in the field of solid-state light emission.