Photoluminescence of nanocomposites of liquid-crystalline polymers and cadmium selenide quantum dots

The role of specific interactions between a polymer matrix and incorporated quantum dots is one of the critical problems for understanding the effect of the polymer matrix on the optical properties of quantum dots in a nanocomposite material and for creating new photonic materials and related instruments. In this study, cadmium selenide quantum dots have been incorporated into a liquid-crystalline polymer via the interaction of carboxyl groups of the polymer with the quantum-dot surfaces through ionic bonds. From the data of transmission electron microscopy, it has been shown that this interaction provides the localization of quantum dots in the environment of the liquid-crystalline phase of the polymer. Various features of photoluminescent properties have been observed and interpreted in terms of the emission recombination of excitons in CdSe quantum dots, light reabsorption by quantum dots, the effect of the electronic states on the surface CdSe-liquid crystal, and the energy transfer from quantum dots to the polymer liquid-crystalline matrix.     

Ab initio study of exciton transfer dynamics from a core–shell semiconductor quantum dot to a porphyrin-sensitizer

The observed resonance energy transfer in nanoassemblies of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and pyridyl-substituted free-base porphyrin molecules [Zenkevich et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 109 (2005) 8679] is studied computationally by ab initio electronic structure and quantum dynamics approaches. The system harvests light in a broad energy range and can transfer the excitation from the dot through the porphyrin to oxygen, generating singlet oxygen for medical applications. The geometric structure, electronic energies, and transition dipole moments are derived by density functional theory and are utilized for calculating the Förster coupling between the excitons residing on the quantum dot and the porphyrin. The direction and rate of the irreversible exciton transfer is determined by the initial photoexcitation of the dot, the dot–porphyrin coupling and the interaction to the electronic subsystem with the vibrational environment. The simulated electronic structure and dynamics are in good agreement with the experimental data and provide real-time atomistic details of the energy transfer mechanism.     

On the possibility of nonradiative energy transfer between hydrophobic quantum dots in solutions

The Förster resonance energy transfer between CdSe quantum dots with two different sizes has been studied in an organic solvent upon the formation of close-packed aggregates of quantum dots, with the aggregation being both spontaneous and induced by a precipitating solvent. The addition of a precipitant has been established to noticeably increase the efficiency of the energy transfer. It has been shown that the sizes and numbers of resulting aggregates may be controlled by varying the experimental conditions.     

Synthesis and application of quantum dots FRET-based protease sensors

Preparation of FRET-based quantum dots as protease sensors-RGDC peptide molecules are bound to the surface of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. The peptide molecules are then labeled with rhodamine dye molecules. The emission color of the quantum dots change from green to orange due to fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the quantum dots and the bound rhodamine molecules. Cleavage of the peptide by selective proteases releases the rhodamine molecules from the quantum dots surface, which results in decreasing FRET efficiency between the quantum dots and the rhodamine molecules. The emission color of the quantum dots changes back to green.     

Luminescence of Hybrid Nanostructures of InP@ZnS Colloidal Quantum Dots and <Emphasis Type="Italic">meso</Emphasis>-Tetra(3-pyridyl)porphyrin Molecules

The formation of hybrid nanostructures consisting of InP@ZnS colloidal quantum dots and mesotetra(3-pyridyl)porphyrin molecules adsorbed on the quantum dots has been studied. In such nanostructures, strong quenching of quantum dot luminescence and an increase in the emission intensity of porphyrin are observed due to nonradiative resonance energy transfer from colloidal quantum dots to porphyrin.     

Excited-state relaxation in PbSe quantum dots

In solids the phonon-assisted, nonradiative decay from high-energy electronic excited states to low-energy electronic excited states is picosecond fast. It was hoped that electron and hole relaxation could be slowed down in quantum dots, due to the unavailability of phonons energy matched to the large energy-level spacings ("phonon-bottleneck"). However, excited-state relaxation was observed to be rather fast (< or =1 ps) in InP, CdSe, and ZnO dots, and explained by an efficient Auger mechanism, whereby the excess energy of electrons is nonradiatively transferred to holes, which can then rapidly decay by phonon emission, by virtue of the densely spaced valence-band levels. The recent emergence of PbSe as a novel quantum-dot material has rekindled the hope for a slow down of excited-state relaxation because hole relaxation was deemed to be ineffective on account of the widely spaced hole levels. The assumption of sparse hole energy levels in PbSe was based on an effective-mass argument based on the light effective mass of the hole. Surprisingly, fast intraband relaxation times of 1-7 ps were observed in PbSe quantum dots and have been considered contradictory with the Auger cooling mechanism because of the assumed sparsity of the hole energy levels. Our pseudopotential calculations, however, do not support the scenario of sparse hole levels in PbSe: Because of the existence of three valence-band maxima in the bulk PbSe band structure, hole energy levels are densely spaced, in contradiction with simple effective-mass models. The remaining question is whether the Auger decay channel is sufficiently fast to account for the fast intraband relaxation. Using the atomistic pseudopotential wave functions of Pb(2046)Se(2117) and Pb(260)Se(249) quantum dots, we explicitly calculated the electron-hole Coulomb integrals and the P-->S electron Auger relaxation rate. We find that the Auger mechanism can explain the experimentally observed P-->S intraband decay time scale without the need to invoke any exotic relaxation mechanisms.     

Influences of Quantum Mechanically Mixed Electronic and Vibrational Pigment States in 2D Electronic Spectra of Photosynthetic Systems: Strong Electronic Coupling Cases

In 2D electronic spectroscopy studies, long‐lived quantum beats have recently been observed in photosynthetic systems, and several theoretical studies have suggested that the beats are produced by quantum mechanically mixed electronic and vibrational states. Concerning the electronic‐vibrational quantum mixtures, the impact of protein‐induced fluctuations was examined by calculating the 2D electronic spectra of a weakly coupled dimer with the Franck‐Condon active vibrational modes in the resonant condition [Fujihashi et al., J. Chem. Phys.­ 2015 , 142, 212403.]. This analysis demonstrated that quantum mixtures of the vibronic resonance are rather robust under the influence of the fluctuations at cryogenic temperatures, whereas the mixtures are eradicated by the fluctuations at physiological temperatures. However, this conclusion cannot be generalized because the magnitude of the coupling inducing the quantum mixtures is proportional to the inter‐pigment electronic coupling. In this study, we explore the impact of the fluctuations on electronic‐vibrational quantum mixtures in a strongly coupled dimer with an off‐resonant vibrational mode. Toward this end, we calculate energy transfer dynamics and 2D electronic spectra of a model dimer that corresponds to the most strongly coupled bacteriochlorophyll molecules in the Fenna‐Matthews‐Olson complex in a numerically accurate manner. The quantum mixtures are found to be robust under the exposure of protein‐induced fluctuations at cryogenic temperatures, irrespective of the resonance. At 300 K, however, the quantum mixing is disturbed more strongly by the fluctuations, and therefore, the beats in the 2D spectra become obscure even in a strongly coupled dimer with a resonant vibrational mode. Further, the overall behaviors of the energy transfer dynamics are demonstrated to be dominated by the environment and coupling between the 0 0 vibronic transitions as long as the Huang‐Rhys factor of the vibrational mode is small. The electronic‐vibrational quantum mixtures do not necessarily play a significant role in electronic energy transfer dynamics despite contributing to the enhancement of long‐lived quantum beating in the 2D spectra.     

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.     

Influences of molecular packing on the charge mobility of organic semiconductors: from quantum charge transfer rate theory beyond the first-order perturbation

The electronic coupling between adjacent molecules is an important parameter for the charge transport properties of organic semiconductors. In a previous paper, a semiclassical generalized nonadiabatic transition state theory was used to investigate the nonperturbative effect of the electronic coupling on the charge transport properties, but it is not applicable at low temperatures due to the presence of high-frequency modes from the intramolecular conjugated carbon-carbon stretching vibrations [G. J. Nan et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2009, 130, 024704]. In the present paper, we apply a quantum charge transfer rate formula based on the imaginary-time flux-flux correlation function without the weak electronic coupling approximation. The imaginary-time flux-flux correlation function is then expressed in terms of the vibrational-mode path average and is evaluated by the path integral approach. All parameters are computed by quantum chemical approaches, and the mobility is obtained by kinetic Monte-Carlo simulation. We evaluate the intra-layer mobility of sexithiophene crystal structures in high- and low-temperature phases for a wide range of temperatures. In the case of strong coupling, the quantum charge transfer rates were found to be significantly smaller than those calculated using the weak electronic coupling approximation, which leads to reduced mobility especially at low temperatures. As a consequence, the mobility becomes less dependent on temperature when the molecular packing leads to strong electronic coupling in some charge transport directions. The temperature-independent charge mobility in organic thin-film transistors from experimental measurements may be explained from the present model with the grain boundaries considered. In addition, we point out that the widely used Marcus equation is invalid in calculating charge carrier transfer rates in sexithiophene crystals.     

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.     

A theoretical study of the electronic properties of hydrogenated spherical-like SiC quantum dots with C-rich and Si-rich compositions

Quantum dots have many potential applications in opto-electronics, energy storage, catalysis, and medical diagnostics, silicon carbide quantum dots could be very attractive for many biological and technological applications due to their chemical inertness and biocompatibility, however, there are seldom theoretical studies that could boost the development of these applications. In this work, the electronic properties of hydrogenated spherical-like SiC quantum dots with C-rich and Si-rich compositions are investigated using density functional theory calculations. The quantum dots are modeled by removing atoms outside a sphere from an otherwise perfect SiC crystal, the surface dangling bonds are passivated with H atoms. Our results exhibit that the electronic properties of the SiC-QD are strongly influenced by their composition and diameter size. The energy gap is always higher than that of the crystalline SiC, making these SiC QD's suitable for applications at harsh temperatures. The density of states and the energy levels show that the Si-rich quantum dots had a higher density of states near the conduction band minimum, which indicates better conductivity. These results could be used to tune the electronicproperties of SiC quantum dots for optoelectronic applications.     

Nanoscale co-organization of quantum dots and conjugated polymers using polymeric micelles as templates

Hierarchical organization of light-absorbing molecules is integral to natural light harvesting complexes and has been mimicked by elegant chemical systems. A challenge is to attain such spatial organization among nanoscale systems. Interactions between nanoscale systems, e.g., conjugated polymers, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, and so on, are of interest for basic and applied reasons. However, typically the excited-state interactions and dynamics are examined in rather complex blends, such as cast films. A model system with complexity intermediate between a film and a supramolecular system would yield helpful insights into electronic energy and charge transfer. Here, we report a simple and versatile approach to achieving spatially defined organization of colloidal CdSe, CdSe/ZnS core/shell, or PbS nanocrystals (quantum dots) with poly(3-hexylthiophenes) (P3HTs) using micelles of poly(styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) as the main structural motif. We compare the characteristics of this system to those of natural light-harvesting complexes. Bulk heterojunction films (and related systems) are characterized by electronic interactions, and therefore dynamics of charge and energy transfer, at interfaces rather than between specific donor-acceptor molecules. Owing to structural disorder, such systems are inherently complex. Therefore, we expect that the spatially defined organization of the active components in the present system provides new opportunities for studying the complicated photophysics intrinsic to blends of nanoscale systems, such as bulk heterojunctions by establishing simplified and better controlled interfaces.     

Analysis of the vibronic fine structure in circularly polarized emission spectra from chiral molecular aggregates

Using a Frenkel-exciton model, the degree of circular polarization of the luminescence (g(lum)) from one-dimensional, helical aggregates of chromophoric molecules is investigated theoretically. The coupling between the electronic excitation and a local, intramolecular vibrational mode is taken into account. Analytical expressions for the fluorescence band shape and g(lum) are presented for the case of strong and weak electronic coupling between the chromophoric units. Results are compared to those from numerical calculations obtained using the three particle approximation. g(lum) for the 0-0 vibronic band is found to be independent of the relative strength of electronic coupling between chromophores and excitation-vibration coupling. It depends solely on the number of coherently coupled molecules. In contrast, for the higher vibronic transitions[g(lum)] decreases with decreasing strength of the electronic coupling. In the limit of strong electronic coupling, [g(lum)] is almost constant throughout the series of vibronic transitions but for weak coupling [g(lum)] becomes vanishingly small for all vibronic transitions except for the 0-0 transition. The results are interpreted in terms of dynamic localization of the excitation during the zero point vibrational motion in the excited state of the aggregate. It is concluded that circular polarization measurements provide an independent way to determine the coherence size and bandwidth of the lowest exciton state for chiral aggregates.     

Photophysical properties of CdSe/ZnS quantum dot–porphyrin surface complexes in aqueous media

We have studied complexes between CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and metal-free porphyrin molecule in aqueous solution and in human blood plasma. We have established that in aqueous solution, transition of the porphyrin to a stable form occurs 2-5 h after formation of the complexes. We have observed that the porphyrin molecules react with the components of the blood plasma, which hinders direct formation of complexes between them and quantum dots in this medium. When previously prepared complexes between quantum dots and porphyrin molecules are added to the blood plasma, they partially dissociate. In aqueous solutions and in human blood plasma, we observe efficient intracomplex transfer of the photoexcitation energy from the quantum dots to the porphyrin molecules.     

Long-Range Transport in an Assembly of ZnO Quantum Dots: The Effects of Quantum Confinement,Coulomb Repulsion and Structural Disorder

We have studied the storage and long-range transport of electrons in a porous assembly of weakly coupled ZnO quantum dots permeated with an aqueous and a propylene carbonate electrolyte solution. The number of electrons per ZnO quantum dot is controlled by the electrochemical potential of the assembly; the charge of the electrons is compensated by ions present in the pores. We show with optical and electrical measurements that the injected electrons occupy the S, P, and D type conduction electron levels of the quantum dots; electron storage in surface states is not important. With this method of three-dimensional charge compensation, up to ten electrons per quantum-dot can be stored if the assembly is permeated with an aqueous electrolyte. The screening of the electron charge is less effective in the case of an assembly permeated with a propylene carbonate electrolyte solution. Long-range electron transport is studied with a transistor set-up. In the case of ZnO assemblies permeated with an aqueous electrolyte, two quantum regimes are observed corresponding to multiple tunnelling between the S orbitals (at a low occupation) and P orbitals (at a higher occupation). In a ZnO quantum-dot assembly permeated with a propylene carbonate electrolyte solution, there is a strong overlap between these two regimes.     

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.     

Assembly and separation of semiconductor quantum dot dimers and trimers

Repeated precipitation of colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (QD) from a good solvent by adding a poor solvent leads to an increasing number of QD oligomers after redispersion in the good solvent. By using density gradient ultracentrifugation we have been able to separate QD monomer, dimer, and trimer fractions from higher oligomers in such solutions. In the corresponding fractions QD dimers and trimers have been enriched up to 90% and 64%, respectively. Besides directly coupled oligomers, QD dimers and trimers were also assembled by linkage with a rigid terrylene diimide dye (TDI) and separated again by ultracentrifugation. High-resolution transmission electron micrographs show that the interparticle distances are clearly larger than those for directly coupled dots proving that the QDs indeed are cross-linked by the dye. Moreover, energy transfer from the QDs to the TDI "bridge" has been observed. Individual oligomers (directly coupled or dye-linked) can be readily deposited on a substrate and studied simultaneously by scanning force and optical microscopy. Our simple and effective scheme is applicable to a wide range of ligand stabilized colloidal nanoparticles and opens the way to a detailed study of electronic coupling in, e.g., QD molecules.     

碲化镉/马来酰亚胺三嗪纳米杂化材料的制备及其光性能研究

利用低温水相法, 以巯基丙酸(MPA)作为稳定剂制备了碲化镉(CdTe)量子点, 通过马来酰亚胺三嗪(TMT)中的三嗪基团与CdTe量子点表面富含的羧基之间的氢键作用, 得到了分散性能优良的纳米杂化材料. 利用紫外-可见吸收光谱、荧光光谱以及透射电子显微镜等手段对产物的光物理性质和形貌进行了表征. 结果表明, 马来酰亚胺三嗪与CdTe量子点杂化后, CdTe量子点的荧光发射峰有明显的蓝移, 在CdTe量子点和马来酰亚胺三嗪之间存在着能量转移, 并且纳米杂化材料的分散性也有明显的改善.     

Designed Long‐Lived Emission from CdSe Quantum Dots through Reversible Electronic Energy Transfer with a Surface‐Bound Chromophore

The size‐tunable emission of luminescent quantum dots (QDs) makes them highly interesting for applications that range from bioimaging to optoelectronics. For the same applications, engineering their luminescence lifetime, in particular, making it longer, would be as important; however, no rational approach to reach this goal is available to date. We describe a strategy to prolong the emission lifetime of QDs through electronic energy shuttling to the triplet excited state of a surface‐bound molecular chromophore. To implement this idea, we made CdSe QDs of different sizes and carried out self‐assembly with a pyrene derivative. We observed that the conjugates exhibit delayed luminescence, with emission decays that are prolonged by more than 3 orders of magnitude (lifetimes up to 330 μs) compared to the parent CdSe QDs. The mechanism invokes unprecedented reversible quantum dot to organic chromophore electronic energy transfer.     

Restricted and unrestricted Hartree–Fock approaches applied to spherical quantum dots in a magnetic field

The Roothaan and Pople–Nesbet approaches for real atoms are adapted to quantum dots in the presence of a magnetic field. Single‐particle Gaussian basis sets are constructed, for each dot radius, under the condition of maximum overlap with the exact functions. The chemical potential, charging energy, and total spin expected values are calculated, and we have verified the validity of the quantum dot energy shell structure as well as Hund's rule for electronic occupation at zero magnetic field. At finite field, we have observed the violation of Hund's rule and studied the influence of magnetic field on the closed and open energy shell configurations. We have also compared the present results with those obtained within the LS‐coupling scheme for low electronic occupation numbers. We focus only on ground‐state properties and consider quantum dots populated up to 40 electrons, constructed by GaAs or InSb nanocrystals. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006