Recently, it was theoretically calculated that luminescence upconversion with efficiency up to 25% can be achieved in metal-semiconductor heterostructures, whereby hot carriers are injected from a metal into a semiconductor quantum well and radiatively recombine. Experimentally, this is challenging to demonstrate due to the propensity of metal to quench the photoluminescence of semiconductors. However, we have recently reported Au-CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> hybrid nanocrystals with photoluminescent quantum yields up to 70%, demonstrating that the fluorescence quenching observed in many hybrid nanoparticles does not necessarily hold true for all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystals. These results suggest that hybrid metal-semiconductor quantum well nanoparticles may be rationally designed to maximize the hot electron luminescence upconversion mechanism, while avoiding the quenching mechanisms brought about by the metal-semiconductor interface. Here, we will discuss the deposition of gold onto CdSe@CdS quantum dots and nanorods, and how the shell morphology can be utilized to reduce the quenching of the photoluminescence, varying parameters such as shell shape and thickness, as well as metal deposition frequency and size to optimize the optical properties of these hybrid nanostructures. By studying this system in conjunction with the Au-CsPbBr<sub>3</sub> hybrid nanoparticles, we hope to gain insight into metal-semiconductor interactions on the nanoscale and how we can better design these structures for fluorescent applications.

Hybrid metal-semiconductor nanoparticles for hot electron luminescence upconversion

255th National Meeting (2018)

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