CdTe Core Quantum Dots Research Articles

Photochemical synthesis, investigation of optical properties and photocatalytic activity of CdTe/CdSe core/shell quantum dots

ABSTRACT In this work, CdTe/CdSe core/shell quantum dots (QDs) were synthesised via simple, rapid, one-pot and low temperature photochemical approach. Synthesised QDs were characterised by means of XRD, EDS, Raman measurements, FESEM and TEM imaging, FT-IR, UV–Vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. It was inferred that the growth of CdSe shell around CdTe quantum dots resulted in the formation of a type II core/shell structure and enhancement of the PL quantum efficiency from 23% to 48%. CdTe core quantum dots indicate a narrow green photoluminescence with an emission summit at about 535 nm that after the CdSe shell growth, it is shifted to 605 nm. Photocatalytic activity of CdTe/CdSe core/shell quantum dots was studied using Methylene Blue and Methylene Orange as pollutant targets and results indicate a better photo degradation of Methylene Blue rather than Methylene Orange.

Development of monoclonal antibody-based ultrasensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay for 1-aminohydantoin detection in aquatic animals

Monitoring and rapid evaluation of nitrofurantoin metabolite, 1-aminohydantoin (AHD), are important for food safety and human health. Herein, we established the monoclonal antibody-based indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) and quantum dots (QDs)-fabricated fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (FLISA). Monoclonal antibody specific to nitrophenyl derivative of AHD was derived from hybridoma cell lines 3.2.4/5A8. For another, CdTe core QDs with emission wavelength of 605nm were also synthesized. The performances of the proposed ic-ELISA and FLISA were further examined and the corresponding results were also validated by standard LC-MS/MS analysis. The obtained results indicated that both ic-ELISA and FLISA exhibited good dynamic linear detection for NPAHD over the range from 0.1 to 3.0ngmL-1. Meanwhile, proposed immunosorbent assays are characterized by satisfactory recovery rates of 81.5-113.7%. The experimental data suggested these two immunoassays could be facile, cost-effective and rapid tools for the prospective quantitative method for AHD analysis in food matrix.

Influence of carrier localization at the core/shell interface on the temperature dependence of the Stokes shift and the photoluminescence decay time in CdTe/CdS type-II quantum dots

We have systematically investigated the temperature dependence of absorption, photoluminescence (PL), and PL decay profiles in CdTe-core and CdTe/CdS type-II quantum dots (QDs). In CdTe/CdS QDs, Stokes shifts and PL decay time become larger with an increase in temperature above 120 K, while those in CdTe-core QDs are almost independent of temperature. The unusual temperature dependence of Stokes shifts and PL decay time in CdTe/CdS QDs is understood by considering carrier localization at the core/shell interface at low temperatures and thermal-energy-assisted detrapping from localized-exciton to type-II exciton states at higher temperatures. Furthermore, a phenomenological rate-equation model is developed to explain the experimentally observed temperature-dependent PL decay time.

Preparation of fluorescent CdTe@CdS core@shell quantum dots using chemical free gamma irradiation method

Abstract This study investigates pH dependent gamma radiation effects on Mercaptopropionic Acid (MPA) capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs). Gamma radiation, as fast and chemical free catalyser, causes CdS Shell formation on MPA capped CdTe QDs at very high alkaline environment. UV–vis absorption spectroscopic results showed that, with increase in gamma radiation doses, the absorption peak of CdTe QDs decreased to lower wavelength (decrease in particle size) in both acidic & neutral medium (as synthesised), and it increased towards longer wavelength in basic medium indicating the possibility of growth of CdS shell over CdTe core QDs. X-ray diffractogram studies have revealed that the peaks of CdTe QDs shift towards higher angles after irradiation, supporting the notion of the core@shell particle structure of CdTe@CdS. TEM images confirmed the extra stretch around core particles from CdS material resulted in increase of average size of QDs. EDX study revealed the chemical composition of material system. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic results revealed the shift in the binding energy of both Cd and S thereby indicating the change in the coordination condition after irradiation promoted the particles’ formation of core@shell in nature. The systematic photoluminescence spectroscopic investigation at all possible pH values against ascended gamma radiation doses revealed the formation of CdS shell over CdTe core at optimum pH value (i.e. only at basic pH 12). Contrarily, photo-oxidation of QDs’ was observed at neutral (and below) pH values towards gamma irradiation. The quantum yield is increased only after introducing external shell source material at highest alkaline media confirming the formation of CdS shell on CdTe core.

Comparative photoluminescence properties of type-I and type-II CdTe/CdS core/shell quantum dots

High quality type-I and type-II CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) were designed and synthesized in water at 90 °C using the same 3.0-nm CdTe core QDs with different CdS shell thicknesses. Time-resolved and temperature-dependent photoluminescence techniques were used to study comparatively their optical properties, showing strong luminescence peaking at 550 nm with the short decay time of 20 ns for type-I CdTe/CdS QDs; and strong luminescence in the near-infrared region of 700–830 nm with very long decay time of 190 ns for the type-II ones. In addition, exciton–acoustic phonon interaction is much stronger in type-I QDs compared to that in type-II ones that is rationally due to the stronger confinement effect.

In situ synthesis of highly luminescent glutathione-capped CdTe/ZnS quantum dots with biocompatibility

This paper focuses on the in situ synthesis of novel CdTe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous solution. Glutathione (GSH) was used as both capping reagent and sulfur source for in situ growth of ZnS shell on the CdTe core QDs. The maximum emission wavelengths of the prepared CdTe/ZnS QDs can be simply tuned from 569 nm to 630 nm. The PL quantum yield of CdTe/ZnS QDs synthesized is up to 84%, larger than the original CdTe QDs by around 1.7 times. The PL lifetime results reveal a triexponential decay model of exciton and trap radiation behavior. The average exciton lifetime at room temperature is 17.1 ns for CdTe (2.8 nm) and 27.4 ns for CdTe/ZnS (3.7 nm), respectively. When the solution of QDs is dialyzed for 3 h, 1.17 ppm of Cd(2+) is released from CdTe QDs and 0.35 ppm is released from CdTe/ZnS. At the dose of 120 microg/ml QDs, 9.5% of hemolysis was induced by CdTe QDs and 3.9% was induced by CdTe/ZnS QDs. These results indicate that the synthesized glutathione-capped CdTe/ZnS QDs are of less toxicity and better biocompatibility, so that are attractive for use in biological detection and related fields.

Spectroscopic behavior of cationic metallophthalocyanines in the presence of anionic quantum dots

The interactions and spectroscopic properties between cationic zinc phthalocyanine derivatives (peripherally and non-peripherally tetrasubstituted and peripherally octa substituted with 2-diethylmethylaminoethylsulfanyl (betaTZnPc, alphaTZnPc and betaOZnPc)) and CdTe core quantum dots (QDs) capped with mercaptopropionic acid or thioglycolic acid (represented as CdTe@MPA and CdTe@TGA, respectively) have been studied in methanol:water mixture. Strong coupling of MPcs was deduced from the interaction since the UV-vis spectroscopic studies of the ground state complex formed on mixing both components showed loss of the phthalocyanine monomeric band with the formation of a dimeric band (spectrum of aggregated species). The dimerization constants were of the order of 10(4)M(-1).