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 sep 2021
Accepted
28 okt 2021
First published
28 okt 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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