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PreprintCC BYChemRxiv

PCl3-Mediated Surface Editing Enables Highly Emissive InP/ZnS Quantum Dots

  • Ashleigh J Harley1,2
  • Jasmine E Robertson1,2
  • Theodore A Gazis1,2
  • Qasim Ibraheeme1,2
  • Simon Payne1,2
  • Ellie L Unwin1,2
  • Lauren Matthews3
  • Martin J Hollamby1,2
  • Peter D Matthews1,2
  1. 1School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
  2. 2Keele University
  3. 3ISIS Pulsed Neutron Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
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Abstract

Surface chemistry governs the optical performance of InP quantum dots (QDs), but strategies for preparing highly emissive InP/ZnS materials often rely on hazardous fluoride treatments. Here, treatment of carboxylate-capped InP QDs with PCl3 before ZnS shell growth increases the photoluminescence quantum yield from 5.5% to 70% without HF. 31P NMR spectroscopy and time-resolved small angle neutron scattering show that PCl3 removes surface carboxylates through formation of tricarboxyphosphite species. PCl3 treatment alone does not enhance emission, demonstrating that surface modification instead enables more effective passivation during shelling. These results establish controlled ligand stripping as an HF-free strategy for engineering the InP/ZnS interface and reveal how surface coordination can modulate the electronic structure and subsequent passivation of InP nanocrystals.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{harley2026pcl3mediated,
  title = {{PCl3-Mediated Surface Editing Enables Highly Emissive InP/ZnS Quantum Dots}},
  author = {Ashleigh J Harley and Jasmine E Robertson and Theodore A Gazis and Qasim Ibraheeme and Simon Payne and Ellie L Unwin and Lauren Matthews and Martin J Hollamby and Peter D Matthews},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15010955/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010955/v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - PCl3-Mediated Surface Editing Enables Highly Emissive InP/ZnS Quantum Dots
AU  - Ashleigh J Harley
AU  - Jasmine E Robertson
AU  - Theodore A Gazis
AU  - Qasim Ibraheeme
AU  - Simon Payne
AU  - Ellie L Unwin
AU  - Lauren Matthews
AU  - Martin J Hollamby
AU  - Peter D Matthews
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/23
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15010955/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010955/v1
AB  - Surface chemistry governs the optical performance of InP quantum dots (QDs), but strategies for preparing highly emissive InP/ZnS materials often rely on hazardous fluoride treatments. Here, treatment of carboxylate-capped InP QDs with PCl3 before ZnS shell growth increases the photoluminescence quantum yield from 5.5% to 70% without HF. 31P NMR spectroscopy and time-resolved small angle neutron scattering show that PCl3 removes surface carboxylates through formation of tricarboxyphosphite species. PCl3 treatment alone does not enhance emission, demonstrating that surface modification instead enables more effective passivation during shelling. These results establish controlled ligand stripping as an HF-free strategy for engineering the InP/ZnS interface and reveal how surface coordination can modulate the electronic structure and subsequent passivation of InP nanocrystals.
ER  -