Browsing by Author "Soran-Erdem, Z."

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Open Access
Colloidal nanocrystals embedded in macrocrystals: methods and applications
(American Chemical Society, 2016) Adam, M.; Gaponik N.; Eychmüller A.; Erdem, T.; Soran-Erdem, Z.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan
Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals have gained substantial interest as spectrally tunable and bright fluorophores for color conversion and enrichment solids. However, they suffer from limitations in processing their solutions as well as efficiency degradation in solid films. As a remedy, embedding them into crystalline host matrixes has stepped forward for superior photostability, thermal stability, and chemical durability while simultaneously sustaining high quantum yields. Here, we review three basic methods for loading the macrocrystals with nanocrystals, namely relatively slow direct embedding, as well as accelerated methods of vacuum-assisted and liquid-liquid diffusion-assisted crystallization. We discuss photophysical properties of the resulting composites and present their application in light-emitting diodes as well as their utilization for plasmonics and excitonics. Finally, we present a future outlook for the science and technology of these materials.
Open Access
Energy-saving quality road lighting with colloidal quantum dot nanophosphors
(Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2014) Erdem, T.; Kelestemur, Y.; Soran-Erdem, Z.; Ji, Y.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan
Here the first photometric study of road-lighting white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) integrated with semiconductor colloidal quantum dots (QDs) is reported enabling higher luminance than conventional light sources, specifically in mesopic vision regimes essential to street lighting. Investigating over 100 million designs uncovers that quality road-lighting QD-WLEDs, with a color quality scale and color rendering index ≥85, enables 13-35% higher mesopic luminance than the sources commonly used in street lighting. Furthermore, these QD-WLEDs were shown to be electrically more efficient than conventional sources with power conversion efficiencies ≥16-29%. Considering this fact, an experimental proof-of-concept QD-WLED was demonstrated, which is the first account of QD based color conversion custom designed for street lighting applications. The obtained white LED achieved the targeted mesopic luminance levels in accordance with the road lighting standards of the USA and the UK. These results indicate that road-lighting QD-WLEDs are strongly promising for energy-saving quality road lighting. © 2014 Science Wise Publishing & De Gruyter 2014.
Open Access
Excitonic improvement of colloidal nanocrystals in salt powder matrix for quality lighting and color enrichment
(OSA - The Optical Society, 2016) Erdem, T.; Soran-Erdem, Z.; Kelestemur, Y.; Gaponik, N.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan
Here we report excitonic improvement in color-converting colloidal nanocrystal powders enabled by co-integrating nonpolar greenand red-emitting nanocrystal energy transfer pairs into a single LiCl salt matrix. This leads to nonradiative energy transfer (NRET) between the cointegrated nanocrystals in the host matrix. Here we systematically studied the resulting NRET process by varying donor and acceptor concentrations in the powders. We observed that NRET is a strong function of both of the nanocrystal concentrations and that NRET efficiency increases with increasing acceptor concentration. Nevertheless, with increasing donor concentration in the powders, NRET efficiency was found to first increase (up to a maximum level of 53.9%) but then to decrease. As a device demonstrator, we employed these NRET-improved nanocrystal powders as color-converters on blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), with the resulting hybrid LED exhibiting a luminous efficiency >70 lm/Welect . The proposed excitonic nanocrystal powders potentially hold great promise for quality lighting and color enrichment applications.
Open Access
Highly monodisperse low-magnetization magnetite nanocubes as simultaneous T1–T2 MRI contrast agents
(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015) Sharma, V. K.; Alipour, A.; Soran-Erdem, Z.; Aykut, Z. G.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan
We report the first study of highly monodisperse and crystalline iron oxide nanocubes with sub-nm controlled size distribution (9.7 ± 0.5 nm in size) that achieve simultaneous contrast enhancement in both T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here, we confirmed the magnetite structure of iron oxide nanocubes by X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern, optical absorption and Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectra. These magnetite nanocubes exhibit superparamagnetic and paramagnetic behavior simultaneously by virtue of their finely controlled shape and size. The magnetic measurements reveal that the magnetic moment values are favorably much lower because of the small size and cubic shape of the nanoparticles, which results in an enhanced spin canting effect. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, we showed their potential as dual contrast agents for both T1- and T2-weighted MRI via phantom studies, in vivo imaging and relaxivity measurements. Therefore, these low-magnetization magnetite nanocubes, while being non-toxic and bio-compatible, hold great promise as excellent dual-mode T1 and T2 contrast agents for MRI. © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Open Access
Liquid-liquid diffusion ‐ assisted crystallization: a fast and versatile approach toward high quality mixed quantum dot ‐ salt crystals
(Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2015) Adam, M.; Wang, Z.; Dubavik, A.; Stachowski, G. M.; Meerbach, C.; Soran-Erdem, Z.; Rengers, C.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan; Gaponik N.; Eychmuller, A.
Here, a new, fast, and versatile method for the incorporation of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) into ionic matrices enabled by liquid-liquid diffusion is demonstrated. QDs bear a huge potential for numerous applications thanks to their unique chemical and physical properties. However, stability and processability are essential for their successful use in these applications. Incorporating QDs into a tight and chemically robust ionic matrix is one possible approach to increase both their stability and processability. With the proposed liquid-liquid diffusion-assisted crystallization (LLDC), substantially accelerated ionic crystallization of the QDs is shown, reducing the crystallization time needed by one order of magnitude. This fast process allows to incorporate even the less stable colloids including initially oil-based ligand-exchanged QDs into salt matrices. Furthermore, in a modified two-step approach, the seed-mediated LLDC provides the ability to incorporate oil-based QDs directly into ionic matrices without a prior phase transfer. Finally, making use of their processability, a proof-of-concept white light emitting diode with LLDC-based mixed QD-salt films as an excellent color-conversion layer is demonstrated. These findings suggest that the LLDC offers a robust, adaptable, and rapid technique for obtaining high quality QD-salts.
Open Access
Macrocrystals of colloidal quantum dots in anthrancene: exciton trannsfer and polarized emission
(American Chemical Society, 2015) Soran-Erdem, Z.; Erdem, T.; Hernandez-Martinez, P. L.; Akgül, M. Z.; Gaponik N.; Demir, Hilmi Volkan
In this work, centimeter-scale macrocrystals of nonpolar colloidal quantum dots (QDs) incorporated into anthracene were grown for the first time. The exciton transfer from the anthracene host to acceptor QDs was systematically investigated, and anisotropic emission from the isotropic QDs in the anthracene macrocrystals was discovered. Results showed a decreasing photoluminescence lifetime of the donor anthracene, indicating a strengthening energy transfer with increasing QD concentration in the macrocrystals. With the anisotropy study, QDs inside the anthracene host acquired a polarization ratio of similar to 1.5 at 0 degrees collection angle, and this increases to similar to 2.5 at the collection angle of 60 degrees. A proof-of-concept application of these excitonic macrocrystals as tunable color converters on light-emitting diodes was also demonstrated.