表面配体对CdSe量子点发光性质的影响

本文采用热注入法合成了以油胺/油酸为表面配体的、粒径均一的CdSe量子点(CdSe QDs)。调节表面配体交换中辛硫醇与CdSe QDs的比例,研究了表面配体对CdSe QDs光致发光及电致化学发光性质的影响,并提出了CdSe QDs的发光模型。结果表明,辛硫醇表面配体显著影响CdSe QDs的带边发射和深能级陷阱发射,因而导致CdSe QDs光致发光强度的显著降低,以及电致化学发光强度的增加。上述结果为进一步提高量子点的发光性能提供了依据。     

Effect of the Functionalization of the Axial Phthalocyanine Ligands on the Energy Transfer in QD-based Donor–Acceptor Pairs

This study examines the electronic coupling between quantum dots (QDs) and molecules on their surfaces as a function of the modality of their interaction. As a probe, the energy transfer (ET) between CdSe QDs and phthalocyanines (Pcs) was monitored and evaluated with regard to the functionalization of the axial phthalocyanine ligand, bulkiness of the functional group bridging the QD donor and Pc acceptor, and the number of the functionalized axial ligands. New silicon PCs and their conjugates with CdSe QDs were synthesized. The ET efficiency and kinetics were studied by steady state and femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. We observed a decrease in ET efficiency with the increase in functional group bulkiness, which could be explained by increasing steric hindrance between the ET pair. In addition, a higher ET efficiency was observed for amino and thiol functionalized Pcs compared to Pcs without functional group on the axial alkyl chain.     

Effect of the functionalization of the axial phthalocyanine ligands on the energy transfer in QD-based donor-acceptor pairs.

This study examines the electronic coupling between quantum dots (QDs) and molecules on their surfaces as a function of the modality of their interaction. As a probe, the energy transfer (ET) between CdSe QDs and phthalocyanines (Pcs) was monitored and evaluated with regard to the functionalization of the axial phthalocyanine ligand, bulkiness of the functional group bridging the QD donor and Pc acceptor, and the number of the functionalized axial ligands. New silicon PCs and their conjugates with CdSe QDs were synthesized. The ET efficiency and kinetics were studied by steady state and femtosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy. We observed a decrease in ET efficiency with the increase in functional group bulkiness, which could be explained by increasing steric hindrance between the ET pair. In addition, a higher ET efficiency was observed for amino and thiol functionalized Pcs compared to Pcs without functional group on the axial alkyl chain.     

Controllable Blinking‐to‐Nonblinking Behavior of Aqueous CdTeS Alloyed Quantum Dots

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are very important optical nanomaterials with a wide range of potential applications. However, the blinking of single QDs is an intrinsic drawback for some biological and photoelectric applications based on single‐dot emission. In this work, we systematically investigated the effects of certain synthetic conditions on the blinking behavior of aqueous CdTeS alloyed QDs, and observed that blinking behaviors of QDs were able to be controlled by the structure and concentration of the thiol compounds that were used as surface ligands. In optimal conditions, completely nonblinking QDs were prepared using certain thiol ligands as stabilizers in aqueous phase. The suppressed blinking mechanism was mainly attributed to elimination of QDs surface traps by coordination of thiol ligands with vacant Cd atoms, formation of appropriate CdS coating on QDs, and controlling the growth dynamics of QDs. Nonblinking QDs show high quantum yield, small size, and good solubility, and will be applied to some fields that were previously limited by blinking of traditional QDs.     

Multidentate surface ligand exchange for the immobilization of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and surface quantum dot-oligonucleotide conjugates

A method for synthesizing multidentate thiol ligands on fused silica surfaces (e.g., optical fibers) was developed for the immobilization of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) capped with hydrophilic or hydrophobic ligands. This work was motivated by the poor stability of QDs immobilized via monodentate thiol ligands and the need for stable immobilization strategies in the development of sensor technologies based on QDs. Multi-dentate immobilization was able to withstand washing protocols, and surface ligand exchange occurred via self-assembly through the zinc-metal affinity interaction. Atomic force and scanning electron microscopy images suggested that the QDs were immobilized at high density, approximately 2-4 x 10 (13) cm (-2). It was possible to immobilize one, two, or three colors of QD. Upon immobilization, 1-2 nm bathochromic shifts in the PL spectra were observed. This was attributed to both ligand exchange and the change in local environment. The change in environment was accompanied by a decrease in PL lifetime. Self-assembly of immobilized QD-oligonucleotide and QD-avidin conjugates was also demonstrated. These conjugates were able to hybridize with complementary oligonucleotide and bind biotin, respectively. This versatile immobilization chemistry is an important step in the development of surface-based QD nanosensors. Such technology requires QDs to be immobilized such that they remain accessible to target molecules in solution.     

Multifunctional compact zwitterionic ligands for preparing robust biocompatible semiconductor quantum dots and gold nanoparticles

We describe the synthesis of a series of four different ligands which are used to prepare hydrophilic, biocompatible luminescent quantum dots (QDs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Overall, the ligands are designed to be compact while still imparting a zwitterionic character to the NPs. Ligands are synthesized appended to a bidentate dihydrolipoic acid- (DHLA) anchor group, allowing for high-affinity NP attachment, and simultaneously incorporate tertiary amines along with carboxyl and/or hydroxyl groups. These are placed in close proximity within the ligand structure and their capacity for joint ionization imparts the requisite zwitterionic nature to the nanocrystal. QDs functionalized with the four different compact ligands were subjected to extensive physical characterization including surface charge, wettability, hydrodynamic size, and tolerance to a wide pH range or high salt concentration over time. The utility of the compact ligand coated QDs was further examined by testing of direct conjugation to polyhistidine-appended protein and peptides, aqueous covalent-coupling chemistry, and the ability to engage in F?rster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Conjugating cell penetrating peptides to the compact ligand coated QD series facilitated their rapid and efficient cellular uptake, while subsequent cytotoxicity tests showed no apparent decreases in cell viability. In vivo biocompatibility was also demonstrated by microinjecting the compact ligand coated QDs into cells and monitoring their stability over time. Inherent benefits of the ligand design could be extended beyond QDs as AuNPs functionalized with the same compact ligand series showed similar colloidal properties. The strong potential of these ligands to expand NP capabilities in many biological applications is highlighted.     

In Situ Ligand Bonding Management of CsPbI3 Perovskite Quantum Dots Enables High-Performance Photovoltaics and Red Light-Emitting Diodes

To fine-tune surface ligands towards high-performance devices, we developed an in situ passivation process for all-inorganic cesium lead iodide (CsPbI₃) perovskite quantum dots (QDs) by using a bifunctional ligand, L-phenylalanine (L-PHE). Through the addition of this ligand into the precursor solution during synthesis, the in situ treated CsPbI₃ QDs display significantly reduced surface states, increased vacancy formation energy, higher photoluminescence quantum yields, and much improved stability. Consequently, the L-PHE passivated CsPbI₃ QDs enabled the realization of QD solar cells with an optimal efficiency of 14.62 % and red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a highest external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 10.21 %, respectively, demonstrating the great potential of ligand bonding management in improving the optoelectronic properties of solution-processed perovskite QDs.     

Controlling the electronic coupling between CdSe quantum dots and thiol capping ligands via pH and ligand selection

Comparison of the UV-vis absorption spectra of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) capped with various mercaptocarboxylic acid capping ligands reveals that only 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBzA) capping ligands lower the apparent optical band gap. We propose that the delocalization of the excitons in the CdSe QDs is extended onto the ligands via electronic coupling to the π system of the 4-mercaptobenzoic acid molecules through the Cd-S bond. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the electronic coupling between the QDs and the (MBzA) thiol ligands is influenced by the strength of the Cd-S bond that can be changed by protonating the S atom.     

Alternative chiral thiols for preparation of chiral CdS quantum dots covered immediately by achiral thiols

Developing of alternative chiral thiol stabilizers from the assembly of achiral thiol (e.g. thioglycolic acid) and chiral ligand (e.g. arginine) via both hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions was proposed and successfully applied to an efficient preparation of chiral CdS quantum dots (QDs). Chiral CdS QDs capped mainly with achiral thioglycolic acid were also obtained that may allow the chiral QDs to be modified for extended applications.     

Gold nanoparticle-quantum dot-polystyrene microspheres as fluorescence resonance energy transfer probes for bioassays

The paper describes the development of highly sensitive particle-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes that do not use molecular fluorophores as donors and acceptors. In these probes, CdSe/ZnS luminescent quantum dots (QDs) were capped with multiple histidine-containing peptides to increase their aqueous solubility while maintaining their high emission quantum yield and spectral properties. The peptide-modified QDs (QD-His) were covalently attached to carboxyl-modified polystyrene (PS) microspheres to form highly emitting PS microspheres (QD-PS). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were then covalently attached to the QD-PS surface to form AuNP-QD-PS composite microspheres that were used as FRET probes. Attachment of AuNPs to QD-PS completely quenched the QD emission through FRET interactions. The emission of QD-PS was restored when the AuNPs were removed from the surface by thiol ligand displacement. The new AuNP-QD-PS FRET platform is simple to prepare and highly stable, and it opens many new possibilities for carrying out FRET assays on microparticle-based platforms and in microarrays. The versatility of these assays could be greatly increased by replacing the linkers between the QDs and AuNPs with ones that selectively respond to specific cleaving agents or enzymes.     

水稳定的镁掺杂ZnO量子点:一锅法合成及细胞成像应用

一锅法合成了镁掺杂的ZnO量子点,利用APTES对其进行表面包覆,并采用XRD、TEM、UV-Vis、PL和FTIR等对材料进行了表征。结果表明镁掺杂能明显增强荧光发光强度,在合适的掺杂浓度(30%)下其量子产率由11%增加到33%。通过APTES的表面包覆使镁掺杂的ZnO量子点具有良好的水溶性和荧光稳定性,可用于MCF-7细胞成像研究。     

基于聚合物多齿配体的高性能CdTe量子点的微波水相合成

针对当前水相合成的量子点(QDs)光性能与稳定性等方面存在的不足,发展了基于聚合物多齿配体的水相制备策略.利用巯基修饰的聚丙烯酸(PAA-SH)作为多齿配体代替常用的巯基丙酸等单齿配体,结合微波辅助加热制备了CdTe量子点,研究了多齿配体对量子点的生长机制与荧光性能的影响.以PAA-SH为配体制备的CdTe量子点荧光性能优异(荧光量子效率(PLQY)可达75%),流体力学直径较小(~10 nm),稳定性也有明显提高.基于聚合物多齿配体的量子点制备技术有助于实现生物医学研究中急需的兼具高亮度、高稳定性、小尺寸等特征的高性能量子点生物探针的制备.     

水稳定的镁掺杂ZnO量子点:一锅法合成及细胞成像应用

一锅法合成了镁掺杂的ZnO量子点, 利用APTES对其进行表面包覆, 并采用XRD、TEM、UV-Vis、PL和FTIR等对材料进行了表征。结果表明镁掺杂能明显增强荧光发光强度, 在合适的掺杂浓度(30%)下其量子产率由11%增加到33%。通过APTES的表面包覆使镁掺杂的ZnO量子点具有良好的水溶性和荧光稳定性, 可用于MCF-7细胞成像研究。     

Aqueous synthesis and characterization of TGA-capped CdSe quantum dots at freezing temperature

CdSe quantum dots (QDs) have traditionally been synthesized in organic phase and then transferred to aqueous solution by functionalizing their surface with silica, polymers, short-chain thiol ligands, or phospholipid micelles. However, a drastic increase in the hydrodynamic size and biotoxicity of QDs may hinder their biomedical applications. In this paper, the TGA-capped CdSe QDs are directly synthesized in aqueous phase at freezing temperature, and they prove to possess high QY (up to 14%).     

Forming highly fluorescent near-infrared emitting PbS quantum dots in water using glutathione as surface-modifying molecule

We present a new facile procedure for transferring oil-soluble oleic acid-capped NIR-emitting PbS quantum dots (QDs) into water, using hydrophilic thiol ligands as the surface-modifying agents of the primary capping molecules (oleic acid). The influence of exchange of the primary capping molecules with five different types of thiol molecules is investigated. The results show that highly fluorescent water-soluble PbS QDs are obtained using glutathione as a surface-modifying agent (photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY), >30%); significantly less fluorescent water-soluble QDs were obtained using l-cysteine (PL QY, ~5%); with other three thiol molecules, PbS QDs lose almost completely their fluorescence in aqueous solution. This striking difference among the five thiol molecules may be attributed to the difference in the molecular structure. Next, we explored systematically the conditions of QD water solubilization, storage stability, photostability and cytotoxicity and tested further the resulting water-soluble PbS QDs for the imaging of living animals. The preliminary results from these studies illustrate that our synthesis procedure is very facile and that the as-prepared water-soluble PbS QDs are stable and low-cytotoxic and will be an important potential probe in the imaging of living animals due to free carboxyl and amino groups on the external surface of the QDs.     

Synthesis of compact multidentate ligands to prepare stable hydrophilic quantum dot fluorophores

We describe a simple and versatile scheme to prepare an array of heterofunctional multidentate ligands that permit strong and stable interactions with colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) and render them soluble in aqueous environments. These ligands were synthesized by reacting various chain length poly(ethylene glycols) with thioctic acid, followed by ring opening of the dithiolane moiety, creating a bidentate thiol motif with enhanced affinity for CdSe-ZnS core-shell QDs. Functionalization with these ligands permits processability of the nanocrystals not only in aqueous but also in many other polar solvents. These ligands provide a straightforward means of preparing QDs that exhibit greater resistance to environmental changes, making them more amenable for use in live cell imaging and other biotechnological applications.     

Luminescence and stability of aqueous thioalkyl acid capped CdSe/ZnS quantum dots correlated to ligand ionization.

The spectroscopic properties of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) were observed to change as a function of thioalkyl acid ligand. Experiments were performed using 2, 3, 6, and 11-carbon linear thioalkyl acids, as well as mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) and dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA). Bathochromic shifts of up to 14 nm in the emission spectra of QDs capped with these ligands were observed. Similarly, hypsochromic or bathochromic shifts up to 7 nm were observed for a specific ligand in acidic or basic solution, respectively. These shifts could be correlated to the number of ionized ligands and the ability of the ligands to act as hole acceptors. It was also found that differences in quantum yield between the ligands were primarily due to variations in radiative decay rate and not nonradiative decay rate. This indicated that different degrees of QD surface passivation were not responsible for the differences, and that the radiative system must be considered as the sum of the ligands and the QD nanocrystal. The stability of QDs capped with mercaptoacetic acid, MSA, and DHLA towards aggregation at low pH was found to correlate with the pK(a) of the ligands. Spectral shifts were also observed during aggregation. Overall, the luminescence of thioalkyl acid capped QDs appears to be a complex function of dielectric constant, electrostatic or hole-acceptor interactions with ionized ligands, and, to a lesser extent, passivation.     

Characterization of primary amine capped CdSe, ZnSe, and ZnS quantum dots by FT-IR: determination of surface bonding interaction and identification of selective desorption

Surface ligands of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) critically influence their properties and functionalities. It is of strong interest to understand the structural characteristics of surface ligands and how they interact with the QDs. Three quantum dot (QD) systems (CdSe, ZnSe, and ZnS) with primary aliphatic amine capping ligands were characterized primarily by FT-IR spectroscopy as well as NMR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy, and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Representative primary amines ranging from 8 to 16 carbons were examined in the vapor phase, KBr pellet, and neat and were compared to the QD samples. The strongest hydrogen-bonding effects of the adsorbed ligands were observed in CdSe QDs with the weakest observed in ZnS QDs. There was an observed splitting of the N-H scissoring mode from 1610 cm(-1) in the neat sample to 1544 and 1635 cm(-1) when bound to CdSe QDs, which had the largest splitting of this type. The splitting is attributed to amine ligands bound to either Cd or Se surface sites, respectively. The effect of exposure of the QDs dispersed in nonpolar medium to methanol as a crashing agent was also examined. In the CdSe system, the Cd-bound scissoring mode disappeared, possibly due to methanol replacing surface cadmium sites. The opposite was observed for ZnSe QDs, in which the Se-bound scissoring mode disappeared. It was concluded that surface coverage and ligand bonding partners could be characterized by FT-IR and that selective removal of surface ligands could be achieved through introduction of competitive binding interactions at the surface.     

In-situ encapsulation of quantum dots into polymer microspheres

We have incorporated fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) into polystyrene microspheres using functionalized oligomeric phosphine (OP) ligands. We find that a uniform distribution of quantum dots is loaded inside each polymer bead. Some local close-packing of quantum dots in the beads is attributed to the self-polymerization of the functionalized ligands. The presence of quantum dots disturbs the nucleation and growth processes during the formation of polymer microspheres and results in a wider size distribution of the quantum dot-embedded polystyrene beads than for the control without dots. The change in quantum efficiency of the quantum dots before (approximately 20%) and after (12%) loading into the beads substantiates the protection of oligomeric phosphine ligands yet indicates that the properties of these quantum dots are still affected during processing.     

Role of surface ligands in optical properties of colloidal CdSe/CdS quantum dots

In order to study the role of surface ligands in determining optical properties of colloidal quantum dots (QDs), we have selectively fabricated and studied CdSe/CdS core-shell QDs with strongly confined electron and hole states attached with commonly used surface ligands. Optical properties, viz. absorption and fluorescence of these QDs, are characterized from which salient changes have been observed for different ligand substitutions which, through theoretical analysis, can be associated with electronic structure properties of the QD-ligand composite systems, in particular localization of wave functions of electrons and holes in the QDs and the band matching of the HOMO-LUMO gap of the ligands. The findings can be utilized to facilitate the understanding and optimization of properties of QD biomarkers with functionalizing surface ligands for targeting cellular objects.