Structural tuning of color chromaticity through nonradiative energy transfer by interspacing CdTe nanocrystal monolayers

We proposed and demonstrated architectural tuning of color chromaticity by controlling photoluminescence decay kinetics through nonradiative Förster resonance energy transfer in the heterostructure of layer-by-layer spaced CdTe nanocrystal (NC) solids. We achieved highly sensitive tuning by precisely adjusting the energy transfer efficiency from donor NCs to acceptor NCs via controlling interspacing between them at the nanoscale. By modifying decay lifetimes of donors from 12.05 to 2.96 ns and acceptors from 3.68 to 14.57 ns, we fine-tuned chromaticity coordinates from (x,y)=(0.575,0.424) to (0.632, 0.367). This structural adjustment enabled a postsynthesis color tuning capability, alternative or additive to using the size, shape, and composition of NCs.