Centrifugation-Free One-Pot Synthesis of Green InP/GaP/ZnS Quantum Dots Via Kinetic and Ligand Control

Indium phosphide quantum dots (InP QDs) are premier candidates for environmentally friendly displays, yet their industrial utility is limited by complex, multistep synthesis methods requiring intermediate purification. Here, we present a kinetic control and ligand synergy strategy enabling the centrifugation-free, one-pot synthesis of high-performance green InP/GaP/ZnS QDs. By pinpointing the nucleation temperature (250 °C) and optimizing the In:myristic acid ratio (1:4), we establish a dynamic ligand environment that successfully suppresses oxidized indium species (InPOx) formation and nonradiative recombination, as validated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The resulting green-emitting InP/GaP/ZnS QDs achieved an outstanding photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 86% and a narrow full width at half-maximum of 44 nm, representing the highest reported PLQY for one-pot synthesized InP QDs with GaP intermediate shells. Quantum dot light-emitting diodes fabricated with these QDs demonstrate stable electroluminescence at 535 nm, achieving a maximum external quantum efficiency of 3.02% and a current efficiency of 12.14 cd A–1. This scalable, centrifugation-free approach effectively bridges the performance gap between one-pot and multistep synthesis, offering a viable pathway toward the industrial manufacturing of environmentally benign QDs for display and lighting applications.