Fluorescent silicon nanoparticles utilized as stable color converters for white light-emitting diodes

In this study, by employing fluorescent silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) as a class of color converters, we introduce a type of small-sized (∼3.7 nm) SiNPs-based color converters for white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The SiNPs with tunable fluorescent color ranging from blue to yellow-green could be achieved through an optimized microwave synthetic method. Of particular significance, the SiNPs exhibiting broadband yellow-green emission prepared at pH value of 4 are demonstrated to be suitable for forming the basis of a white spectrum, which are thus further employed as color converter for the construction of white LED. The resultant LED devices exhibit a luminous efficiency of 13 lm W−1, Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of (0.3041, 0.3129), color rendering index of 82, and correlated color temperature of 7982 K.