Excitonic chemiluminescence in Si and CdSe nanocrystals induced by their interaction with ozone.

The results of a systematic study of spectral and kinetic patterns of ozone-adsorption-induced luminescence (AL) in nanostructured Si and, for the first time, in colloidal CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are reported and compared with photoluminescence (PL) of the same structures. The common excitonic nature of light emission under ozone chemisorption and photoexcitation is confirmed by excellent coincidence of AL and PL emission bands. This coincidence is maintained during correlated quenching of AL and PL emission caused by nonradiative defects generated under ozone adsorption.