Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12)
Optimising spectral quality of ternary copper dichalcogenide core-shell nanoparticle luminescent down-shifting films in controlled environments
Stefan Ghany* The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
The development of luminescent down-shifting films (LDS) for spectral adaptation in controlled environment agriculture systems (CEAs) towards improved crop yields has been of tremendous focus in recent years. Due to their tuneable nature, they can better utilise the sun’s energy for effective light transmittance, down-converted emission into photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), while also reducing unwanted wavelengths which contribute to the generation of excessive heat within the CEAs; detrimental to crops grown in hot climates. Copper-based dichalcogenide quantum dots (QDs) are regarded as environmentally benign materials that display desirable optical properties resulting in their use in LDS films in CEAs. In this project, using a facile colloidal hot-injection method, we synthesise a range of colloidally-stable ternary copper- based dichalcogenide QDs (CXS 2 /YS; X = In, Fe, Al; and Y = Zn, Mn) of varying size, morphology, composition, and shell thickness to tune their optical properties for effective spectral adaptation. The QDs will be embedded into transparent polymers of either poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (P(LMA-co-EDGM)) or poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) (P(EVA)) to form a LDS film of effective thickness to effect the desired optical properties which can enhance crop yield. The optical properties of the as-synthesised QDs and LDS films will be characterised for their ability to down-convert light energy, using structure elucidation techniques (p-XRD), elemental composition analysis (EDS), electronic states/ charges (XPS), morphology and structure (TEM/ HR-TEM), optical and electronic properties (steady-state PL and UV-VIS-NIR), Time-resolved PL, Raman Spectroscopy among other techniques. The LDS film will be used as a prototype solar window element to evaluate the effectiveness of the QDs to spectrally adapt the solar spectrum to improve certain crop yields under controlled conditions in a CEAs. It is anticipated that these CEAs can be implemented in hot tropical climate conditions to diminish penetration of unutilised light by crops which cause heating problems, while also adapting the solar spectrum to photosynthetically suitable wavelengths which can further drive crop yield.
P06
© The Author(s), 2023
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