I-III-VI quantum dots (QDs) are emerging as environmentally benign alternatives to conventional Cd and Pb-based QDs owing to their low toxicity, broad compositional tunability, and high color purity. Their chemical composition enables precise control over the electronic structure and optical properties, allowing emission to be tuned across the visible spectrum while maintaining high photoluminescence efficiency and stability. Advances in synthetic chemistry have improved the quality of these QDs, establishing them as promising candidates for solid-state lighting. This review summarizes progress in I-III-VI QDs, focusing on their synthesis, structural development, and white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) applications. First, we outline key synthesis strategies including organic synthesis (hot-injection, heating-up, solvothermal, thermal decomposition) and aqueous synthesis (hydrothermal, microwave-assisted). Second, we describe the structural evolution from ternary to quaternary and quinary systems, encompassing compositional doping strategies and core/shell engineering using single or multi-shell architectures. These strategies aim to enhance the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), stability and emission tunability. Then, we discuss the applications of I-III-VI QDs in photoluminescent WLEDs and highlight luminous efficiency, color rendering index (CRI), correlated color temperature (CCT) and stability of the device. Finally, we conclude with a perspective for the development of I-III-VI QDs for next generation WLEDs.
Farid et al. (Thu,) studied this question.