Networking State of Ytterbium Ions Probing the Origin of Luminescence Quenching and Activation in Nanocrystals

Abstract

At the organic–inorganic interface of nanocrystals, electron-phonon coupling plays an important but intricate role in determining the diverse properties of nanomaterials. Here, it is reported that highly doping of Yb3+ ions within the nanocrystal host can form an energy-migration network. The networking state Yb3+ shows both distinct Stark splitting peak ratios and lifetime dynamics, which allows quantitative investigations of quenching and thermal activation of luminescence, as the high-dimensional spectroscopy signatures can be correlated to the attaching and de-attaching status of surface molecules. By in-situ surface characterizations, it is proved that the Yb-O coordination associated with coordinated water molecules has significantly contributed to this reversible effect. Moreover, using this approach, the prime quencher -OH can be switched to -CH in the wet-chemistry annealing process, resulting in the electron-phonon coupling probability change. This study provides the molecular level insights and dynamics of the surface dark layer of luminescent nanocrystals.