Issue 12, 2021

van der Waals solid solution crystals for highly efficient in-air photon upconversion under subsolar irradiance

Abstract

Triplet-sensitized photon upconversion (UC) has been proposed for broad applications. However, the quest for superior solid materials has been challenged by the poor exciton transport often caused by low crystallinity, a small crystal domain, and aggregation of triplet sensitizers. Here, we demonstrate substantial advantages of the van der Waals solid solution concept to yield molecular crystals with extraordinary performance. A 0.001%-order porphyrin sensitizer is dissolved during recrystallization into the molecular crystals of a blue-fluorescent hydrocarbon annihilator, 9-(2-naphthyl)-10-[4-(1-naphthyl)phenyl]anthracene (ANNP), which contains bulky side groups. This attempt yields millimeter-sized, uniformly colored, transparent solid solution crystals, which resolves the long-standing problem of sensitizer aggregation. After annealing, the crystals exhibit unprecedented UC performance (UC quantum yield reaching 16% out of a maximum of 50% by definition; excitation intensity threshold of 0.175 sun; and high photostability of over 150 000 s) in air, which proves that this concept is highly effective in the quest for superior UC solid materials.

Graphical abstract: van der Waals solid solution crystals for highly efficient in-air photon upconversion under subsolar irradiance

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
21 9 2021
Accepted
28 10 2021
First published
28 10 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Mater. Horiz., 2021,8, 3449-3456

van der Waals solid solution crystals for highly efficient in-air photon upconversion under subsolar irradiance

R. Enomoto, M. Hoshi, H. Oyama, H. Agata, S. Kurokawa, H. Kuma, H. Uekusa and Y. Murakami, Mater. Horiz., 2021, 8, 3449 DOI: 10.1039/D1MH01542G

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