Boron Carbonitride Nanosheet/ZnO Nanorod Heterojunctions for White-Light Emission

We report for first time the fabrication of boron carbonitride (BxCyNz) nanosheets with a unique structural backbone comprised of B-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) as well as C-doped hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and demonstrate their potential applications in light-emitting devices. The existence of these two types of domains in BxCyNz nanosheets bestows a fascinating electronic structure originating from the π, π*, n states of g-C3N4 and the native defect states of h-BN. Like conventional B-doped g-C3N4, p-type conductivity has been perceived upon the incorporation of C into the h-BN lattice. The ternary nanosheets exhibit unique negative thermal quenching (NTQ) characteristics in photoluminescence emission, making the material stupendous for the fabrication of superior-performance light-emitting diodes using a lower injection current density at room temperature. The fabricated two-dimensional/one-dimensional heterojunction based on BxCyNz nanosheets/ZnO nanorods displays broadband white-light emission with superior intensity at a much lower turn-on voltage of ∼3 V. The fabrication of BxCyNz nanosheets with doped g-C3N4 and h-BN nanodomains and the manifestation of superior light-emission characteristics with unique NTQ attributes can open up the possibility for next-generation light-emitting and display systems with outstanding luminescence stability.