Capping ligand infrared absorption and dopant photoluminescence spectroscopy provides a comprehensive picture to probe dopant spatial location in semiconductor nanoparticles

Abstract

The spatial location of a foreign species (dopant) in a semiconductor nanoparticle matrix is probed by monitoring the infrared absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy of the capping ligand and dopant moieties respectively at room temperature. The results have been rationalized within the domain of observables in each experiment and argued to provide a comprehensive picture in tracking the core and surface localized terbium cations that are incorporated in zinc sulfide nanoparticles. The progression of luminescence quantum yield of the core and surface localized terbium cations with doping extent induced variation has been found to be different. The generality of the experimental observations has been demonstrated with the corresponding europium incorporated nanoparticles.