Effect of thermocompression on properties of transparent glass-ceramics containing quantum dots

Abstract

A novel strategy for preparing transparent glass-ceramics with a uniform quantum-dot size and high transparency via thermocompression is reported. Borophosphate glass containing the Cs–Pb–Br component is prepared using the conventional melting method. The glass is then pressed with a piece of stainless steel to generate thermocompression during the crystallization heat treatment, by which small and uniform-sized nanocrystals of CsPbBr3 quantum dots are produced in glass. Thermocompression reduces the specific surface energy of the nanocrystals and inhibits the abnormal growth of microcrystals, thereby reducing the average particle size from 7 to 4 nm and completing the growth of microcrystals. This significantly increases the transmittance of the glass-ceramics and enhances the luminescence intensity by approximately threefold. The experimental results show that low-intensity pressure can control the structure and properties of glass-ceramics during the growth of microcrystals in glass, which is a new process for preparing transparent microcrystalline glass.