Colloidal synthesis and optical properties of type-II CdSe-CdTe and inverted CdTe-CdSe core-wing heteronanoplatelets

Abstract

We developed colloidal synthesis to investigate the structural and electronic properties of CdSe-CdTe and inverted CdTe-CdSe heteronanoplatelets and experimentally demonstrate that the overgrowth of cadmium selenide or cadmium telluride core nanoplatelets with counterpartner chalcogenide wings leads to type-II heteronanoplatelets with emission energies defined by the bandgaps of the CdSe and CdTe platelets and the characteristic band offsets. The observed conduction and valence band offsets of 0.36 eV and 0.56 eV are in line with theoretical predictions. The presented type-II heteronanoplatelets exhibit efficient spatially indirect radiative exciton recombination with a quantum yield as high as 23%. While the exciton lifetime is strongly prolonged in the investigated type-II 2D systems with respect to 2D type-I systems, the occurring 2D giant oscillator strength (GOST) effect still leads to a fast and efficient exciton recombination. This makes type-II heteronanoplatelets interesting candidates for low threshold lasing applications and photovoltaics.