Quantitative modeling of the role of surface traps in CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanocrystal photoluminescence decay dynamics

TLDR

Charge‑carrier trapping in nanocrystals lowers photoluminescence quantum efficiency and obscures exciton–environment interactions, yet direct optical detection is difficult because traps have negligible transition dipoles. The study aims to distinguish trap‑mediated from non‑trap excitation dynamics, especially in multi‑nanocrystal assemblies. A Marcus‑electron‑transfer framework is used to extract trap‑state dynamics from time‑resolved exciton photoluminescence measurements. The method reveals that photoluminescence is highly sensitive to interfacial trap distribution, providing an indirect probe that advances understanding of exciton interactions for photovoltaic, photodetector, and sensor applications.

Abstract

Charge carrier trapping is an important phenomenon in nanocrystal (NC) decay dynamics because it reduces photoluminescence (PL) quantum efficiencies and obscures efforts to understand the interaction of NC excitons with their surroundings. Particularly crucial to our understanding of excitation dynamics in, e.g., multiNC assemblies, would be a way of differentiating between processes involving trap states and those that do not. Direct optical measurement of NC trap state processes is not usually possible because they have negligible transition dipole moments; however, they are known to indirectly affect exciton photoluminescence. Here, we develop a framework, based on Marcus electron transfer theory, to determine NC trap state dynamics from time-resolved NC exciton PL measurements. Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of PL to interfacial dynamics, indicating that the technique can be used as an indirect but effective probe of trap distribution changes. We anticipate that this study represents a step toward understanding how excitons in nanocrystals interact with their surroundings: a quality that must be optimized for their efficient application in photovoltaics, photodetectors, or chemical sensors.