Indium phosphide quantum dots (InP QDs) are premier candidates for environmentally friendly displays, yet their industrial utility is limited by complex, multistep synthesis methods requiring intermediate purification. Here, we present a kinetic control and ligand synergy strategy enabling the centrifugation-free, one-pot synthesis of high-performance green InP/GaP/ZnS QDs. By pinpointing the nucleation temperature (250 °C) and optimizing the In:myristic acid ratio (1:4), we establish a dynamic ligand environment that successfully suppresses oxidized indium species (InPOx) formation and nonradiative recombination, as validated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The resulting green-emitting InP/GaP/ZnS QDs achieved an outstanding photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 86% and a narrow full width at half-maximum of 44 nm, representing the highest reported PLQY for one-pot synthesized InP QDs with GaP intermediate shells. Quantum dot light-emitting diodes fabricated with these QDs demonstrate stable electroluminescence at 535 nm, achieving a maximum external quantum efficiency of 3.02% and a current efficiency of 12.14 cd A–1. This scalable, centrifugation-free approach effectively bridges the performance gap between one-pot and multistep synthesis, offering a viable pathway toward the industrial manufacturing of environmentally benign QDs for display and lighting applications.
Qiu et al. (2026) studied this question.