Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Tailoring the photoluminescence of PbS-nanoparticles layers deposited by means of the pulsed laser ablation technique

  • Brief communication
  • Published:
Journal of Nanoparticle Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this article, we report on the room-temperature pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of lead sulfide (PbS) nanoparticles (NPs) layers onto various substrates. It is particularly shown that the average size of PbS NPs can be controlled by varying the number of laser ablation pulses. The pulsed laser deposited PbS NPs are found to be of high-crystalline quality and their photoluminescence (PL) to blue shift significantly from 1420 to 880 nm, as their average diameter is decreased from 8.5 to 2.5 nm, thereby confirming the quantum size effect. The latitude of our PLD process is shown to permit the achievement of multilayered PbS-NPs structures of which the overall PL emission spectrum can be tailored through the appropriate stack of individual PbS-NPs layers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Abel KA, Shan J, Boyer JC, Harris F, van Veggel FCJM (2008) Highly photoluminescent PbS nanocrystals: the beneficial effect of trioctylphosphine. Chem Mater 20:3794

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cademartiri L, Montanari E, Calestani G, Migliori A, Guagliardi A, Ozin GA (2006) Size-dependent extinction coefficients of PbS quantum dots. J Am Chem Soc 128:10337

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhlamini MS, Terblans JJ, Ntwaeaborwa OM, Ngaruiya JM, Hillie KT, Botha JR, Swart HC (2008) Photoluminescence properties of powder and pulsed laser-deposited PbS nanoparticles in SiO2. J Lumin 128:1997

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dolbec R, Irissou E, Chaker M, Guay D, Rosei F, El Khakani MA (2004) Growth dynamics of pulsed laser deposited Pt nanoparticles on highly oriented pyrolitic graphite substrates. Phys Rev B 70:201406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellingson RJ, Beard M, Johnson J, Yu P, Micic OI, Shaebev A, Efros AL, Nozik AJ (2005) Highly efficient multiple exciton generation in colloidal PbSe and PbS quantum dots. Nano Lett 5:865

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaidi M, Hajjaji A, Smirani R, Bessais B, El Khakani MA (2010) Structure and photoluminescence of ultrathin films of SnO2 nanoparticles synthesized by means of pulsed laser deposition. J Appl Phys 108:063537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorer S, Albu YA, Hades G (1995) Quantum size effects in chemically deposited, nanocrystalline lead selenide films. J Phys Chem 99:16442

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hines MA, Scholes GD (2003) Colloidal PbS nanocrystals with size-tuneable near-infrared emission: observation of post-synthesis self-narrowing of the particle size distribution. Adv Mater 15:1844

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khokhlov D (2003) Lead chalcogenides: physics & applications. Taylor and Francis, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Liua ZW, Ong CK, Yu T, Shen ZX (2006) Catalyst-free pulsed-laser-deposited ZnO nanorods and their room-temperature photoluminescence properties. Appl Phys Lett 88:053110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald SA, Konstantatos G, Zhang S, Cyr PW, Klem EJD, Levina L, Sargent EH (2005) Solution-processed PbS quantum dot infrared photodetectors and photovoltaics. Nat Mater 4:138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson JJ, Krauss TD (2006) Fluorescence spectroscopy of single lead sulfide quantum dots. Nano Lett 6:510

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Popa A, Lisca M, Stancu V, Buda M, Pentia E, Botila T (2006) Crystallite size effect in PbS thin films grown on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition. J Opt Adv Mater 8:43

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez E, Jimenez E, Padilha LA, Neves AAR, Jacob GJ, Cesar CL, Barbosa LC (2005) SiO2/PbTe quantum-dot multilayer production and characterization. Appl Phys Lett 86:113117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shcherbatyuk GV, Inman RH, Wang C, Winston R, Ghosh S (2010) Viability of using near infrared PbS quantum dots as active materials in luminescent solar concentrators. Appl Phys Lett 96:191901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sukhovatkin V, Hinds S, Brzozowski L, Sargent EH (2009) Colloidal quantum-dot photodetectors exploiting multiexciton generation. Science 324:1542

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Suna A, Mahler W, Kasowski R (1987) PbS in polymers. From molecules to bulk solids. J Chem Phys 87:7315

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang P, Song C, Lu M, Yin X, Zhou G, Xu D, Yuang D (2001) The luminescence of PbS nanoparticles embedded in sol–gel silica glass. Chem Phys Lett 345:429

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu D, Chen Y, Li B, Chen X, Zhang M (2007) Fabrication and characterization of PbS/multiwalled carbon nanotube heterostructures. Appl Phys Lett 90:161103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao H, Chaker M, Ma D (2009) Bimodal photoluminescence during the growth of PbS quantum dots. J Phys Chem C 113:6497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou G, Lu M, Xiu Z, Wang S, Zhang H, Zhou Y, Wang S (2006) Controlled synthesis of high-quality PbS star-shaped dendrites, multipods, truncated nanocubes, and nanocubes and their shape evolution process. J Phys Chem B 110:6543

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and from the Sixtron advanced Materials, in the context of a CRD-NSERC Grant (CRDPJ 379634-08). The authors also acknowledge the support of the “Fonds Québécois de la Recherche sur la Nature et les Technologies” (FQRNT) through its strategic network “Plasma-Québec”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, INRS-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650, Blvd. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X-1S2, Canada

    I. Ka, D. Ma & M. A. El Khakani

Authors
  1. I. Ka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. A. El Khakani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. A. El Khakani.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ka, I., Ma, D. & El Khakani, M.A. Tailoring the photoluminescence of PbS-nanoparticles layers deposited by means of the pulsed laser ablation technique. J Nanopart Res 13, 2269–2274 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-011-0401-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-011-0401-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation