Volker Weiler

Narrow-band red-emitting Sr[LiAl3N4]:Eu2+ as a next-generation LED-phosphor material

To facilitate the next generation of high-power white-light-emitting diodes (white LEDs), the discovery of more efficient red-emitting phosphor materials is essential. In this regard, the hardly explored compound class of nitridoaluminates affords a new material with superior luminescence properties. Doped with Eu(2+), Sr[LiAl3N4] emerged as a new high-performance narrow-band red-emitting phosphor material, which can efficiently be excited by GaN-based blue LEDs. Owing to the highly efficient red emission at λ(max) ~ 650 nm with a full-width at half-maximum of ~1,180 cm(-1) (~50 nm) that shows only very low thermal quenching (>95% relative to the quantum efficiency at 200 °C), a prototype phosphor-converted LED (pc-LED), employing Sr[LiAl3N4]:Eu(2+) as the red-emitting component, already shows an increase of 14% in luminous efficacy compared with a commercially available high colour rendering index (CRI) LED, together with an excellent colour rendition (R(a)8 = 91, R9 = 57). Therefore, we predict great potential for industrial applications in high-power white pc-LEDs.

Near-infrared luminescent nanomaterials for in-vivo optical imaging

Optical imaging using unspecific contrast agents as well as targeted and disease-specific agents play a vital role in preclinical research. Moreover, optical imaging is on the verge of establishing itself as a clinically relevant imaging modality. Also in-vitro diagnostical procedures rely to a large degree on optical labels to report disease-specific events. Materials that fulfill the basic requirements of this market are being used today, with cyanine dyes and semiconductor quantum dots being excellent examples. Other materials are being tested in laboratories throughout the world. Design rules suitable to develop new optical labels for in-vivo near-infrared optical imaging procedures have been formulated by us, and we have developed synthesis routes that lead to nano particles with small diameter, narrow size distribution, high quantum yield, and with stable surfaces required for bioconjugation to disease-specific ligands.

Nanocrystalline semiconductor LEDs with simple structure and high efficiency

Nanocrystalline semiconductor particles exhibit a size dependent bandgap emission, due to size quantisation effects. These particles are derived from solution chemistry and can be made monodisperse under the right synthesis conditions. Compared to organic materials, the inorganic nanoparticles show much higher stability against oxidation and degradation, which makes them an interesting candidate for LEDs and displays. So far, LEDs based on semiconductor nanoparticles typically included low stability organic materials to provide charge injection. The talk will present a new class of nanoparticle LEDs, made without sensitive organic materials. These LEDs show high efficiencies, well defined color throughout the red to green part of the visible spectrum and improved stability under ambient conditions without excessive encapsulation. Using high quality monodisperse suspensions, high color purity is achieved for the emission which paves the road to cheap, high quality displays based on inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles.