Ultra-Broadband Random Laser and White-Light Emissive Carbon Dots/Crystal In-Situ Hybrids

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Carbon dots (CDs) exhibit continuous white-light emission, enabling multicolor laser generation from a single medium.
• Solid-state emission from nanomaterials is crucial for practical laser applications.
• Developing efficient methods for creating luminescent hybrid materials is an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a strategy for in-situ hybridization of silane-functionalized carbon dots (SiCDs) and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid trimethyl ester (Et3BTC).
• To achieve ultra-broadband random laser emission from the resulting hybrid crystals.
• To explore a convenient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach for preparing luminescent hybrids.

Main Methods:

• One-pot solvothermal synthesis to create SiCDs/Et3BTC hybrid crystals.
• Excitation using a 265 nm nanosecond pulsed laser.
• Characterization of random laser emission properties.

Main Results:

• The SiCDs/Et3BTC hybrid crystals demonstrated ultra-broadband random laser emission spanning the near ultraviolet-visible region (315–600 nm).
• The observed laser emission wavelength range is wider than previously reported for similar materials.
• The continuous white-light emission of SiCDs, attributed to multiple fluorescence centers, is proposed as the origin of the broadband emission.
• The crystal structure facilitates resonance, enabling solid-state laser emission.

Conclusions:

• The in-situ hybridization method provides a facile route to novel luminescent materials.
• The SiCDs/Et3BTC hybrid crystals show significant potential for applications in multicolor laser displays, multi-level laser anti-counterfeiting, and supercontinuum light sources.
• This approach offers a greener and more economical alternative for producing advanced luminescent hybrids.