Time-Dependent Chemiluminescence Fingerprint for Ultrasensitive Trap State Identification in Zinc Gallates

With the growing demand for highly efficient sensors capable of rapid and reliable detection of trap states in semiconductors, developing novel chemical and physical phenomena induced by trap states at nanomaterial interfaces has thus emerged as a critical technological field. Herein, we developed an innovative time-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) method for evaluating trap states in semiconductor materials. By leveraging the unique trap states of Cr³⁺-activated zinc gallate (ZGOC) semiconductors and the hydroxyl radical (·OH)-rich EDTA-Fe²⁺-H₂O₂ system, we achived rational manipulation of ·OH-triggered time-dependent near-infrared (NIR) CL induction. To extract high-information-density outputs from the CL response, ZGOC nanocrystals associated with different Cr³⁺-related trap states were precisely identified by a distinct CL "fingerprint" pattern and robust statistical analysis. Remarkably, the generalizability of this method was validated using mixed models containing two typical samples and other adjustable ZGOC systems. The developed CL probe for Cr³⁺-related trap state evaluation provides advantages such as cost-effectiveness, operational simplicity, and rapid response, offering a promising and innovative alternative to conventional trap state assessment methods.