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Vol. 18 (2026)

Efficient and Pure I-III-VI AIGS Quantum Dot-Based Light-Emitting Diodes via Ligand-Reshaped Surface State

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02086-y
Leimeng Xu
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics of Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Daxue Road 75, Zhengzhou 450051, People’s Republic of China
Jianpeng Zhao
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics of Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Daxue Road 75, Zhengzhou 450051, People’s Republic of China
Jindi Wang
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics of Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Daxue Road 75, Zhengzhou 450051, People’s Republic of China
Jisong Yao
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics of Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Daxue Road 75, Zhengzhou 450051, People’s Republic of China
Shalong Wang
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics of Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Daxue Road 75, Zhengzhou 450051, People’s Republic of China
Zhi Wu
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics of Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Daxue Road 75, Zhengzhou 450051, People’s Republic of China
Jizhong Song
Key Laboratory of Materials Physics of Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, School of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Daxue Road 75, Zhengzhou 450051, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Jizhong Song

songjizhong@zzu.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 242

Abstract

The I-III-VI silver indium gallium sulfide (AIGS) quantum dots (QDs) have gained extensive attention owing to their tunable emission wavelength and ecofriendly composition; however, the performance of AIGS QD-based light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) remains constrained by suboptimal surface state, significantly lagging behind that of other heavy-metal-containing QD counterparts. Herein, we propose a ligand-reshaped strategy aimed at optimizing the surface state of AIGS QDs to enhance the performance of QLEDs. A polyfunctional ligand, dimercaptosuccinic acid (DSA), is introduced to reshape the QD surface through passivation of uncoordinated Ga3+ and suppression of S vacancies. After DSA passivation, the QDs exhibit not only exceptional luminescent properties with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 89%, but also pure emission with a narrow full width at half maximum of 31 nm. Concurrently, DSA passivation markedly improves the electrical transport characteristic of QDs, thereby ensuring efficient carrier injection. Resultantly, the reshaped QLED achieves a maximum peak external quantum efficiency of 8.4% along with a narrow FWHM of 31 nm, representing a record performance reported thus far for the AIGS system. The proposed DSA ligand-reshaped strategy endows AIGS QLEDs with both high efficiency and color purity, substantially advancing their potential for the application in QD lightings and display technologies.


Highlights:
1 A ligand reshaped strategy is proposed to optimize the surface state of silver indium gallium sulfide (AIGS) quantum dots (QDs) via a polyfunctional ligand, mercaptosuccinic acid.
2 Both donor–acceptor pair and non radiative recombination pathways are decreased after passivation, which leads to a notable narrowing full width at half maximum to 31 nm and an enhancement of photoluminescence quantum yield up to 89%.
3 The efficient and pure QD based light emitting diodes (QLEDs) exhibit a maximum peak external quantum efficiency of 8.4%, representing the record performance of AIGS QLEDs.

Keywords

Quantum dots Silver indium gallium sulfide QD-based light-emitting diodes External quantum efficiency Color purity
Xu, Leimeng, Jianpeng Zhao, Jindi Wang, Jisong Yao, Shalong Wang, Zhi Wu, and Jizhong Song. 2026. “Efficient and Pure I-III-VI AIGS Quantum Dot-Based Light-Emitting Diodes via Ligand-Reshaped Surface State”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (February):242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02086-y.
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