Doping as a strategy to tune color of 2D colloidal nanoplatelets

Among colloidal nanocrystals, 2D nanoplatelets (NPLs) made of II-VI compounds appear as a special class of emitters with an especially narrow photoluminescence signal. However, the PL signal in the case of NPLs is only tunable by a discrete step. Here, we demonstrate that doping is a viable path to finely tune the color of these NPLs from green to red, making them extremely interesting as phosphors for wide-gamut display. In addition, using a combination of luminescence spectroscopy, tight-binding simulation, transport, and photoemission, we provide a consistent picture for the Ag+-doped CdSe NPLs. The Ag-activated state is strongly bound and located 340 meV above the valence band of the bulk material. The Ag dopant induces a relative shift of the Fermi level toward the valence band by up to 400 meV but preserves the n-type nature of the material.