Synthesis of highly monodisperse quantum dot‐loaded polymer beads by impregnation and precipitation techniques

A novel approach to the synthesis of highly monodisperse quantum dot‐loaded polymer beads by combining impregnation and precipitation techniques was reported. The monodisperse poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) beads were first synthesized by dispersion polymerization. Then, the PGMA beads were chemically modified to generate carboxyl groups, and impregnation of cadmium ions (Cd²⁺) inside the beads. Subsequently, the cadmium ions were reacted with thioacetamide to form cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots within the polymer beads. The morphology, structure, and properties of CdS quantum dot‐loaded polymer beads were studied by field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope, fluorescence spectrophotometer, fluorescence microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicated that the CdS quantum dot‐loaded polymer beads had an average size of 1.4 μm, and were highly monodisperse. More interestingly, the CdS quantum dots distributed evenly within the polymer beads, which provide very strong fluorescence intensity. The existence of carboxyl groups on the quantum dot‐loaded polymer beads was measured quantitatively, and was found to be 0.2 mmol/g. These CdS quantum dot‐loaded polymer beads involving functional carboxyl groups would have potential applications in biological immunoassay and photoelectronic fields. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Synthesis and structural characterizations of [chromophore]+‐saponite/polyurethane nanocomposites

In this study, three chromophores—p‐nitroaniline, 4‐(4‐nitrophenylazo)aniline, and 4‐[(E)‐2‐{4‐[(E)‐2‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐1‐diazenyl]phenyl}‐1‐diazenyl]aniline—were intercalated into layered aluminosilicate saponite and then dispersed into the polyurethanes matrix. The intercalated chromophore/saponite complexes were examined by inductively coupled plasma emission and element analysis technologies. The molecular orbital package computation simulation and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that possible configurations of chromophore ions on the gallery surfaces of saponite suggest that the chromophore molecules lie parallel to the basal planes of silicate as an inclined paraffin structure or as pseudo‐multilayers. The XRD and transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the delamination of organoclay in the polyurethanes matrix exhibited nanolayers, exfoliated structure, or both. In particular, even at high doping levels up to 15 wt % of organoclay, the [chromophore]⁺‐saponite/polyurethanes film did not display a macroscopic aggregation of layered silicates and showed high transparency. The thermal stability of chromophore was significantly enhanced as intercalated into the layered aluminosilicate saponite, and the glass‐transition temperature of [chromophore]⁺‐saponite/polyurethanes nanocomposites proportionally increased with increased clay content. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 1690–1703, 2002     

Synthesis and physical properties of layered silicates/polyurethane nanocomposites

Samples of polyurethane nanocomposites were synthesized using diphenylmethane diisocyanate, poly(ε‐caprolactone) diol, di(ethylene glycol), and a clay functionalized by hydroxyl groups. The inorganic content in the hybrids was 2 wt %, 4 wt %, and 8 wt %. The X‐ray analysis showed that exfoliation occurred for clay content equal to 2% (w/w), whereas for higher contents, the inorganic phase rearranges in an intercalated structure. FTIR analysis suggested that the degree of hydrogen bonding in the hard segments was greatly reduced because of the amount of silicate layers and their dispersion. The dynamic‐mechanical analysis showed that the presence of clay lamellae extends very much the temperature range before the hard domain transition, causing the loss of mechanical consistency of the samples. It is less than 100 °C for the pure polymer, and increases up to 200 °C for the nanocomposites. The permeability of water vapor decreases linearly with inorganic content up to 4% of inorganic phase, and levels off at higher concentrations. The permeability behavior, at low activities, is largely dominated by the diffusion phenomenon. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2454–2467, 2005     

Facile synthesis of fluorescent quantum dot‐polymer nanocomposites via frontal polymerization

We report an available approach for quickly fabricating CdS QD‐polymer nanocomposites via frontal polymerization (FP). First, we synthesized (3‐mercaptopropyl)‐1‐trimethoxysilane (MPS)‐capped CdS quantum dots (QDs). With these MPS‐capped CdS QDs containing mercapto groups, MPS‐capped CdS QDs can be easily incorporated into a poly(N‐methylolacrylamide) (PNMA) matrix via FP. A variety of features for preparing QD‐polymer nanocomposites, such as initiator concentration and CdS concentration, were thoroughly investigated. The fluorescence properties of QD‐polymer nanocomposites prepared via FP are comparatively investigated on the basis of ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectra and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Results show that the PL intensity of QD‐polymer nanocomposites prepared via the FP method is superior to that obtained by the traditional batch polymerization (BP) method. In addition, by measuring the changes of PL intensity of the samples immersed in different concentrations of copper acetate solution, we found the QD‐polymer nanocomposites can be ultrasensitive to copper ions. This FP process can be exploited as a facile and rapid way for synthesis QD‐polymer nanocomposites on a large scale, avoiding the fluorescence quenching of nanocrystals during incorporation nanocrystals into polymer matrices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2170–2177, 2010     

Preparation and characterization of monodisperse CdS quantum dot‐polymer microspheres

A novel and effective method for the preparation of monodisperse CdS quantum dot‐polymer microspheres was proposed. The monodisperse hollow polymer microspheres were firstly swelled in chloroform. Then, the reaction precursor composed of CdO and sulfur, was impregnated into the hollow polymer microspheres. Subsequently, the CdS quantum dots were synthesized directly within the polymer microspheres by thermal decomposition. The morphology, structure, and fluorescence properties of CdS quantum dot‐polymer microspheres were studied by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, fluorescence microscope, and flow cytometry. The results indicate that the fluorescent CdS quantum dots are successfully synthesized in the monodisperse hollow polymer microspeheres, which provide very strong fluorescence intensity, and offer excellent photostability due to the compact structure of the polymer matrix. These CdS quantum dot‐polymer microspheres have potential applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 751–755, 2010     

Enhanced in vitro anticancer activity of quercetin mediated by functionalized CdTe QDs

We report in this study the effects of red-emitting CdTe QDs capped with cysteamine(Cys-CdTe) on the in vitro anticancer activity of the well-known flavenoid quercetin(Qu). Various techniques, including the methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay, the real-time cell electronic sensing system, the optical and fluorescence imaging, and electrochemical methods have been utilized to study the potential interactions of Cys-CdTe QDs with Qu. The observations demonstrate that the safe-dosage Cys-CdTe QDs can greatly improve the drug uptake and enhance the inhibition efficiency of Qu towards the proliferation of cancer cells such as HepG2 cells. This study implies that Cys-CdTe QDs may be used for cancer therapy and that they exert a synergic anticancer effect when bound to drug molecules.     

Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes encapsulated with polyurethane and its nanocomposites

Poly(acryloyl chloride) (PACl) was employed to enhance the surface of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). MWCNTs were first acid treated to generate hydroxyl groups on the surface, which was reacted with PACl to obtain an encapsulation. The numerous acryloyl chloride groups on the out layer were esterified with a proper amount of ethylene glycol (EG). Subsequently, 4,4′‐methylenebis (phenylisocyanate) (MDI) and 1,4‐butanediol (BDO) were introduced into the system, and a polyurethane (PU) layer was formed in situ. The formation of PU layers on MWCNTs was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS). The morphology of encapsulated MWCNTs was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed the grafted polymer fraction was up to 90%. On introducing the modified MWCNTs into a PU matrix, an increase in tensile strength by 60.6% and improvement in modulus by 6.3% over neat PU was observed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4857–4865, 2008     

One‐step Synthesis and Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Polymer–Quantum Dot Composite Films

Conventional syntheses of polymer–inorganic composite thermoelectric materials suffer major problems such as inhomogeneity, large particle size, and oxidation that result in ineffective loading. Now a one‐step synthesis can be used to fabricate high‐quality small‐sized anions codoped poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):dodecylbenzenesulfonate/Cl‐tellurium (PEDOT:DBSA/Cl‐Te) composite films using a series of novel Te^IV‐based oxidants. The synchronized production of PEDOT and Te results in thick and homogeneous films containing evenly distributed and well‐protected Te quantum dots. Owing to the heavily doped crystalline polymer matrix as well as the <5 nm unoxidized Te quantum dot loading, at low Te concentrations as 2.1–5.8 wt %, the films exhibits high power factors of about 100 μW m^?1 K^?2, which is 50 % higher compared to a pure PEDOT:DBSA film.     

水热法合成巯基乙胺稳定的CdTe量子点

提出了一种以水热法合成巯基乙胺稳定的CdTe量子点的简单制备路线. 在优化的反应条件下, 产物的荧光量子效率最高达到19.7%, 接近已报道的其它方法的2倍. 考察了反应条件对产物的荧光性能的影响及产物在不同pH溶液中的稳定性.     

All‐organic nanocomposites of functionalized polyurethane with enhanced dielectric and electroactive strain behavior

For a dielectric elastomer, increasing its dielectric constant substantially could lead to a high electric field induced strain under a low operation field. In this work, high dielectric constant nanocomposites were developed by chemically bonding copper phthalocyanine oligomer (CuPc), a high dielectric constant organic semiconductor, to polyurethane (PU). Transmission electron microscope‐observed morphologies revealed that the sizes of CuPc particles in a nanocomposite of PU attached with 8.78 vol.% of CuPc were in the range of 10–20 nm, much smaller than the sizes (250–600 nm) in physical blend of PU with the same volume fraction of CuPc. At 100 Hz, the nanocomposite film exhibited a dielectric constant of 391, representing a more than 60 times increase with respect to the neat PU. The enhanced dielectric response in the nanocomposite makes it possible to induce a high electromechanical response. A strain of 17.7% and an elastic energy density of 0.927 J/cm³ were achieved under an electric field of 10 V/µm. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of CdTe colloidal quantum dots (QDs) in water

The comparison of growth processes and fluorescent properties of CdTe semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) that are synthesized in water with different modifiers are discussed in this paper. The samples are characterized through ultraviolet-visible spectra (UV-Vis), photoluminescence spectra (PL) and zeta potential. The results show that when the reaction time is prolonged for the same modifier, the ultraviolet absorption peak and fluorescent emission peak present obvious red shifts and the diameters of the QDs continuously increase. With the same reaction time but different modifiers, QDs with different diameters can be gained. The average full width at half maximum of the photoluminescence spectra is about 50 nm which shows that the monodispersity is quite good. Under the best reaction conditions, the highest quantum yield (QY) can be attained by using thioglycollic acid (TGA) as modifier when the reaction time is 240 min. The zeta potential is influenced by the modifier and pH. __________ Translated from Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2007, 41(10): 1690–1694 [译自: 上海交通大学学报]     

Synthesis of Multifunctional Mn‐Doped CdTe/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots

The synthesis of a novel water‐soluble Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS core‐shell quantum dots using a proposed ultrasonic assistant method and 3‐mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as stabilizer is descried. To obtain a high luminescent intensity, post‐preparative treatments, including the pH value, reaction temperature, reflux time and atmosphere, have been investigated. For an excellent fluorescence of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS, the optimal conditions were pH 11, reflux temperature 100°C and reflux time 3 h under N₂ atmosphere. While for phosphorescent Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs, the synthesis at pH 11, reflux temperature 100°C and reflux time 3 h under air atmosphere gave the best strong phosphorescence. The characterizations of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs were also identified using AFM, IR, powder XRD and thermogravimetric analysis. The data indicated that the photochemical stability and the photoluminescence of CdTe QDs are greatly enhanced by the outer inorganic ZnS shell, and the doping Mn²⁺ ions in the as‐prepared quantum dots contribute to strong luminescence. The strong luminescence of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs reflected that Mn ions act as recombination centers for the excited electron‐hole pairs, attributing to the transition from the triplet state (⁴T₁) to the ground state (⁶A₁) of the Mn²⁺ ions. All the experiments demonstrated that the surface states played important roles in the optical properties of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS core‐shell quantum dots.     

Synthesis of UV‐cured acrylic–silica hybrid nanocomposites from dendritic acrylic oligomer and acrylic‐functionalized silica

An acrylic–silica hybrid polymeric nanocomposite, comprising well‐distributed silica nanoparticles in acrylic matrix, has been synthesized at a markedly rapid rate from a dendritic acrylic oligomer (DAO) and an acrylic‐functionalized silica (A‐silica) via UV‐curing. A‐silica was made by functioning colloidal silica nanoparticles with 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MATMS) and DAO was formed by reacting 1,5‐diamino‐2‐methylpentane (MPMDA) with trimethylopropane triacrylate (TMPTA). The MATMS has been found either doubly or singly bonded to silica nanoparticles but not triply bonded, and the inclusion of MATMS into the siloxane network structure increases the size of silica nanoparticles. The well distribution of A‐silica and its good compatibility with DAO cause an increase in T_d of the acrylic–silica hybrid material. Silica nanoparticles are too small to cause any significant light scattering, and do not have deleterious effects on transparency. The “hybrid‐on‐polyethylene terephathalate” films exhibited satisfactory hardness and surface roughness because of silica nanoparticles. The preparation as well as the characterization of the constituting species and the final hybrid material are described in detail. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 8149–8158, 2008     

一锅合成绿色到近红外发射的CdTe量子点

以3-巯基丙酸(MPA)为稳定剂,采用水相合成法制备了从绿色到近红外发射的CdTe量子点。系统研究了反应液pH值、镉和碲的物质的量之比及镉和3-巯基丙酸的物质的量之比等实验条件对CdTe量子点体系的发射波长和荧光量子产率的影响。在pH值为10.5,且nCd2+∶nTe2-∶nMPA=1∶0.05∶1.1的条件下,回流0.5 h,CdTe量子点体系在569 nm波长处的荧光量子产率达到30.8%;在7 h的回流时间内,制备的量子点的波长覆盖范围为525～730 nm。分别用X射线粉末衍射、透射电镜和红外光谱对CdTe量子点的晶体结构、形貌及表面基团进行表征。     

水溶性CdTe量子点的合成及影响因素研究

本文以巯基乙酸(TGA)为稳定剂,在水相中合成了高荧光CdTe量子点.其荧光发射波长在507 ～ 628nm范围内可调,最窄半峰宽37 nm,粒径约3.4nm,量子产率达42.1％.本实验在固定前躯体配比不变的情况下,考察了前躯体中镉离子的浓度、pH及回流时间对CdTe生长的影响.并用透射电子显微镜(TEM),荧光分光光度计(FS),X射线衍射仪(XRD)等手段对制备的量子点进行了表征.结果表明:CdTe量子点的尺寸随回流时间而增长;反应的pH对量子点的荧光强度有显著影响;镉离子的浓度越大,量子点的生长速度越快,荧光强度却随之降低.     

功能性CdTe量子点荧光增敏法测定盐酸多巴胺

以CdTe量子点作为荧光探针,基于荧光增敏法对盐酸多巴胺进行了定量检测,考察了缓冲溶液体系、量子点浓度、反应时间等多种因素的影响。实验结果表明,在pH7.5的0.2 mol/L Na2HPO4-NaH2PO4缓冲液中,反应时间为20 min,盐酸多巴胺浓度为1.2×10-8~1.0×10-7mol/L时,其线性回归方程为△F=-27.47+25.54c(10-8mol/L),相关系数和检测限分别为0.9992和6×10-11mol/L。该方法为盐酸多巴胺的测定提供了新的方法。     

Preparation of nanocomposites by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization from the surface of quantum dots in miniemulsion

Herein, we report the synthesis of quantum dots (QDs)/polymer nanocomposites by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization in miniemulsions using a grafting from approach. First, the surfaces of CdS and CdSe QDs were functionalized using a chain transfer agent, a trisalkylphosphine oxide incorporating 4‐cyano‐4‐(thiobenzoylsulfanyl)pentanoic acid moieties. Using a free radical initiator (AIBN) to activate the RAFT process, a polystyrene (PS) block was grafted from the surface of the QDs. Quantum confinement effects were identified for the nanocomposite obtained, so attesting to the integrity of the QDs after the polymerization. Free PS chains were also present in the final nanocomposite, indicating that the RAFT polymerization from the surface of the QDs was accompanied by conventional free radical polymerization. After isolating the nanocomposite particles, a second poly(n‐butyl acrylate) block was tentatively grown from the initial PS block. The first results indicated a successful polymerization of the second polymer and show the potential of the current strategy to prepare block copolymers from the surface of the RAFT‐modified QDs. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5367–5377, 2009     

Synthesis and micellization of new biodegradable phosphorylcholine‐capped polyurethane

To obtain controllable and biocompatible drug carriers, a series of amphiphilic biodegradable multiblock polyurethanes end‐capped by phosphorylcholine were designed and synthesized using L ‐lysine ethyl ester diisocyanate (LDI), poly(lactic acid)‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(lactic acid) (PLA‐PEG‐PLA), 1,4‐butanediol (BDO), and 4‐hydroxy butyl phosphorylcholine (BPC) was used as end‐capper to improve their biocompatibility and provide them with tailored micellization characteristics. The resulting polyurethanes were fully characterized with proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), gel permeation chromatograph (GPC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). More importantly, these phosphorylcholine‐capped polyurethanes can self assemble into micelles that are smaller than 100 nm in diameter. Their particle sizes, size distributions, and zeta potentials can also be tailored by varying the phosphorylcholine content. The incorporation of phosphorylcholine into these polyurethanes has significantly affected their degree of microphase separation, bulk and micelle degradation rates. This work provides a new and facile approach to prepare amphiphilic block copolymer micelles with controllable performances, which could be useful for drug delivery and bioimaging applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Thermal‐ and collision‐induced dissociation studies of functionalized imidazolium‐based ionic liquid cations

Ionic liquids are now used in applications ranging from chemical synthesis to spacecraft propulsion. With this comes the need to characterize new syntheses, identify environmental contamination, and determine eventual fate in terrestrial and space environments. This work investigates the effects of source conditions, particularly capillary temperature, on the observed mass spectrum and determines the collision‐induced dissociation (CID) patterns of imidazolium‐based ionic liquid cations as a function of their substituent types. Experiments were carried out on a Thermo LTQ‐XL ion‐trap mass spectrometer and a Bruker microTOF‐Q II mass spectrometer. Dissociation of the imidazolium cations occurred predominantly via substituent losses, except in benzyl‐substituted systems, for which the neutral loss of the imidazole was exclusively observed. Several of these dissociation pathways were studied in greater depth using complementary quantum chemical calculations. The nature of the neutral losses from the substituents was found to be highly dependent upon the nature of the substituent, as would be expected, establishing bases for characterization.     

水合肼还原二氧化碲水相合成CdTe量子点

以巯基乙酸为稳定剂, 氯化镉为镉源, 二氧化碲为碲源, 水合肼为还原剂, 一步合成了CdTe量子点. 研究了反应时间、 碲与镉的摩尔比及巯基乙酸与镉的摩尔比等实验条件对CdTe量子点生长过程的影响. 采用荧光光谱、 X射线粉末衍射和透射电子显微镜等对量子点的性能进行了表征. 结果表明, 反应时间及反应物的相对用量对量子点的生长和荧光光谱有明显影响, 所得CdTe量子点具有立方晶型, 发光颜色从绿色到红色连续可调, 荧光量子产率可达26%.