Effect of alkali bases on the synthesis of ZnO quantum dots

Xilian Zhang,Wenkui Li,Minghui Feng,Yingying Li,Shanshan Luo,Haoyun Han,Xiaodan Wu

doi:10.1515/chem-2021-0027

Xilian Zhang, Wenkui Li + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.1515/chem-2021-0027

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Abstract

Abstract The surface-modified zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO QDs) have broad application prospects in the field of biomedicine because of their good water solubility, dispersibility, and high fluorescence stability. The alkali bases play important roles in controlling the morphology, size distribution, dispersity, and fluorescence intensity of the synthesized ZnO QDs. In this article, ZnO QDs were synthesized to induce hydrolysis–condensation reaction. The influences of alkali bases (LiOH, NaOH, and KOH) and the ratio of n(Zn2+):n(OH−) on the properties of synthesized ZnO QDs were investigated. The results show that the particle size of the ZnO QDs prepared using LiOH and NaOH as raw materials are smaller than that using KOH. ZnO QDs prepared at the ratio of n(Zn2+):n(LiOH) = 1:1 have the best fluorescence performance and dispersibility.

Highlights

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor materials with a particle size close to or smaller than the de Broglie wave or the mean free path of electrons
The half-width of the diffraction peak of the sample with RZn−OH = 1:2 is larger than that of the sample with RZn−OH = 1:1, which indicates that the particle size of the QDs prepared at RZn−OH = 1:2 is smaller than that prepared at RZn−OH = 1:1
Is fixed at 1:1, the ZnO QDs synthesized with LiOH are the smallest

Summary

Introduction

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor materials with a particle size close to or smaller than the de Broglie wave or the mean free path of electrons. During the past few Surface Engineering, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal. Xilian Zhang: Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Surface Engineering, Jiangxi. Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, People’s Republic of China. Provincial Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang 330013, People’s Republic of China. Applications in the biomedical field require ZnO QDs to have good water solubility, dispersion, and fluorescence stability. The fluorescence color of the QDs is related to their size. In the range of 2.5–7 nm, as the particle size increases, the fluorescence color is blue-violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red [4,5]. In 1991, Lubomir and Marc [6]

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