Synthesis of CdSe Quantum Dots by Evaporation of Bulk CdSe using SMAD and Digestive Ripening Processes

Abstract

Here we report synthesis of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) by evaporation of bulk CdSe using the solvated metal atom dispersion method (SMAD), followed by reflux in toluene and in t-butyltoluene (TBT). The as-prepared SMAD product exhibits broad photoluminescence spectra (PL), but upon reflux in toluene or t-butyltoluene, interestingly, the PL spectra become narrow with an increase in fluorescence intensity. The temporal evolution of quantum dots was monitored by in situ UV−vis spectroscopy. The XRD data reveal that the formed CdSe QDs retain the wurtzite structure of the starting bulk CdSe material. The merits of this synthesis procedure are the use of bulk CdSe as starting material, possibility of scale up, elimination of high-temperature injection and size-selective precipitation processes.