Luminescent Properties of ZnO/MgO Nanocrystal/Polymer Composite Structure

We report on cathodoluminescence (CL) studies of the composite nanostructure obtained by spin coating of a mixture of chemically-deposited ZnO/MgO nanocrystals and a solution processable polymer (PDPV) on a Si substrate with patterned gold electrodes. The effect of an electric field on the CL of the nanostructure was studied at various bias voltages on the electrodes. A positive voltage suppressed the blue-green emission and shifted the emission maximum to the red region. The emission maximum returned to the blue-green region after the eld had been turned off. A model of the electric-field-induced color switching in the ZnO/polymer-based nanostructure is proposed. The bias-voltage-induced interface band bending and the deactivation of the radiative centers, in particular, singly-ionized oxygen vacancies in ZnO nanocrystals, are suggested to govern the relative changes of the blue-green-red emissions. We report on cathodoluminescence (CL) studies of the composite nanostructure obtained by spin coating of a mixture of chemically-deposited ZnO/MgO nanocrystals and a solution processable polymer (PDPV) on a Si substrate with patterned gold electrodes. The effect of an electric field on the CL of the nanostructure was studied at various bias voltages on the electrodes. A positive voltage suppressed the blue-green emission and shifted the emission maximum to the red region. The emission maximum returned to the blue-green region after the eld had been turned off. A model of the electric-field-induced color switching in the ZnO/polymer-based nanostructure is proposed. The bias-voltage-induced interface band bending and the deactivation of the radiative centers, in particular, singly-ionized oxygen vacancies in ZnO nanocrystals, are suggested to govern the relative changes of the blue-green-red emissions. KCI Citation Count: 2