Spectral and kinetic features of nonradiative energy transfer in hybrid associates of colloidal quantum dots and organic dyes

Abstract

The features of nonradiative resonance energy transfer in hybrid associates of colloidal CdS quantum dots (QDs) with molecules of a thiazine dye and J-aggregates of a carbocyanine dye are discussed. The case of an inhomogeneously broadened recombination band of donor (CdS QDs) luminescence is considered. We detected spectral-selective quenching of recombination luminescence of colloidal CdS QDs in association with organic dyes. The maximum of quenching occurs in the region of absorption of the acceptor (organic dye molecule). It is shown using the time-correlated single photon counting technique that the lifetime of the QD luminescence decreases synchronously with the quenching of the luminescence, but only at the wavelengths falling in the region of absorption of the dye. Based on the concept of a donor–acceptor nature of emission of CdS QDs, the dependence of the efficiency of nonradiative energy transfer on the luminescence wavelength is analyzed taking into account the Poisson distribution of its quenchers.