Continuous In Situ Synthesis of ZnSe/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots in a Microfluidic Reaction System and its Application for Light‐Emitting Diodes

Abstract

For the continuous production of quantum dots (QDs), continuous-fl ow microfl uidic reaction systems have been recognized as an effective and alternative strategy to the conventional batch systems due to precise controllability of reaction conditions, including high heat and mass transfer, temperature control, high surface-to-volume ratio, effi cient mixing, low reagent consumption, and continuous production. [ 1 , 2 ] In addition, the microfl uidic reaction system provides easy scale-up and reduces the reaction time, which is highly suitable for the large quantity production of monodisperse QDs for industrial applications in electronics and the life sciences. [ 3 ] Unfortunately, the most composition of previously synthesized QDs is mainly dedicated to Cd chalcogenide material, which is known to be a hazardous substance and to cause serious health problems and is therefore applied in limited applications. [ 4 ] In addition, research on blue-emission QDs has remained elusive because it is diffi cult to synthesize small sizes ( < 1.6 nm) of CdSe-based QDs that have a narrow size distribution and high quantum effi ciency. [ 5 ] Furthermore, several reported continuous reaction systems required more than two reactors or complex synthetic procedures, which may limit to produce core/shell QDs. [ 6 ]