Development of perovskite quantum dot inks for the display industry

Quantum dots (QD) are high-performance materials for optical conversion applications, such as color-generating layers in displays. The next generation of displays and other optoelectronic devices the formulation of quantum dots with high volume fraction in organic liquids, which can be printed, for example, on LEDs in LCD and micro-LED displays. Such quantum dot inks are not yet on the market and pose a particular challenge for perovskite QDs (PQDs) because they are unstable, non-uniform in size, and incompatible with organic matrices in their raw state. BrightComSol has pioneered molecular surface coatings and production methods for formulating PQDs in high viscosity polymer plastic systems with high volume fractions. We will build on this technology to develop a surface coating and synthesis method to disperse PQDs in typical ink formulations. Through a combination of resizing PQDs in the presence of such ligands and optimizing the ligands, we will realize formulations of PQDs that are colloidally stable for printing over the long term. Our new ligands and formulations will create dense shells around the small PQDs. Part of the shell will stabilize the PQD surface and crystal structure, and the other part will provide compatibility with the ink liquid. We will characterize the dispersions, from the properties of the as-synthesized PQDs to the colloidal stability to the optical properties of the ink dispersions. Our academic partners at BOKU will assist us in the selection and synthesis of novel ligands that optimize the stability of the PQDs and PQD dispersions based on their molecular architecture and physicochemical properties.