Tailoring Colloidal Core–Shell Quantum Dots for Optoelectronics

Colloidal core–shell quantum dots (QDs) are promising nanosystems exhibiting outstanding optical properties including enhanced photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), prolonged exciton lifetime, suppressed Auger recombination (AR) and improved photo-/chemical stability as compared to bare QDs. The band structure of core–shell QDs can be properly tailored via choosing appropriate core and shell materials, resulting in different types of band alignments such as type I, type II, and quasi-type II, which can be used for achieving a variety of high-performance optoelectronic devices including QDs-sensitized solar cells, photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells, luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers and photodetectors. In this chapter, we introduced the synthesis and optical properties regarding different types of core–shell QDs and highlighted their band structure tuning for various optoelectronic applications. We also discussed the existing challenges and prospective developments of core–shell QDs-based optoelectronics, which are crucial to pave the way for their future practical usages.