硒化镉发光量子点的制备及其在有机发光器件中的应用

硒化镉量子点具有随粒径尺寸改变,而产生发光波长调变的特性,目前已被广泛研究。本研究是由化学溶胶法合成不同粒径尺寸的核壳型CdSe／ZnS硒化镉量子点,其表面包覆十六烷基胺,避免分子团聚现象。在由硒化镉成核温度的控制,成功地制备一系列具有各种尺寸粒径的核壳型硒化镉量子点(2—6nm)。本研究也合成了含有纳米金粒子于核壳型硒化镉量子点,实验结果发现：硒化镉发光效率明显的提高。在有机发光器件的应用方面,将发光波长为505nm核壳型CdSe／ZnS量子点掺入溶有发光波长为570nm铱化合物的氯仿溶液时,其溶液的光致发光光谱表明,原量子点的发光特性消失,只有铱化合物的发光依然存在,且其发光强度呈现明显增强趋势,我们推测此现象源自于量子点到铱化合物能量转移的机制。我们也以含有核壳型硒化镉量子点的铱化合物与PVK混合材料为发光层,成功的制作发光二极管器件,器件的发光效率因核壳型硒化镉的掺杂,明显提高2倍多。     

The Influence of Surface Trapping and Dark States on the Fluorescence Emission Efficiency and Lifetime of CdSe and CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots

To investigate the influence of surface trapping and dark states on CdSe and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), we studied the absorption, fluorescence intensity and lifetime by using one-and two-photon excitation, respectively. Experimental results show that both one- and two-photon fluorescence emission efficiencies of the QDs enhance greatly and the lifetime increase after capping CdSe with ZnS due to the effective surface passivation. The lifetime of one-photon fluorescence of CdSe and CdSe/ZnS QDs increase with increasing emission wavelength in a supralinear way, which is attributed to the energy transfer of dark excitons. On the contrary, the lifetime of two-photon fluorescence of bare and core-shell QDs decrease with increasing emission wavelength, and this indicates that the surface trapping is the dominant decay mechanism in this case.     

脂溶性CdSe/ZnS量子点脂质体复合物的制备及表征

在油相中成功合成了脂溶性CdSe/ZnS核壳量子点纳米粒,粒径平均为4.5 nm,量子产率达29%,发射波长为540 nm。通过薄膜分散法,以蛋黄卵磷脂、胆固醇为膜材,将脂溶性的CdSe/ZnS核壳量子点包覆于脂质体磷脂双分子层中,由于磷脂分子的两亲性,使得脂溶性的CdSe/ZnS核壳量子点同时又具有亲水性。通过透射电镜对脂质体形态进行了表征,倒置荧光显微镜证实了发光CdSe/ZnS核壳量子点成功包埋于脂质体双分子层中,包裹的发光CdSe/ZnS核壳量子点具有更稳定的发光及抗光漂白性质。     

CdSe/ZnS量子点在倏逝波光纤pH传感中的应用

将新型量子点荧光传感技术与光纤倏逝波传感技术相结合,发展了一种基于量子点荧光效应并结合倏逝波传导进行溶液酸碱度检测的新型传感技术,具有灵敏度高、检测速度快、便于微环境检测、可实现远程探测、实时监测和原位分析等特点。详细介绍了用于倏逝波传感的锥柱组合型光纤荧光探头的制备方法,量子点在光纤探头表面的修饰流程,光谱与强度两种光纤pH传感平台的建立,并分别从响应范围、线性度、重复性和稳定性等方面对CdSe/ZnS量子点应用于光纤pH传感进行了评价。结果表明,在pH值为2~12的范围内,CdSe/ZnS量子点的荧光光谱信号的峰位在强酸和强碱的情况下都会产生红移,且红移量随pH值的变化呈线性关系,其量子点荧光强度信号随pH值的减小呈线性降低关系,通过在强酸和强碱下交替测试的实验表明其具有较好的重复性,利用荧光强度传感平台进行实时监测的实验表明其具有较好的稳定性。因此,将CdSe/ZnS量子点用于倏逝波光纤pH传感具有可行性,在生物化学、环境监测、医学临床、食品安全等领域的pH值测量方面有着广泛的应用前景。     

Effect of the Semiconductor Quantum Dot Shell Structure on Fluorescence Quenching by Acridine Ligand

The main line of research in cancer treatment is the development of methods for early diagnosis and targeted drug delivery to cancer cells. Fluorescent semiconductor core/shell nanocrystals of quantum dots (e.g., CdSe/ZnS) conjugated with an anticancer drug, e.g., an acridine derivative, allow real-time tracking and control of the process of the drug delivery to tumors. However, linking of acridine derivatives to a quantum dot can be accompanied by quantum dot fluorescence quenching caused by electron transfer from the quantum dot to the organic molecule. In this work, it has been shown that the structure of the shell of the quantum dot plays the decisive role in the process of photoinduced charge transfer from the quantum dot to the acridine ligand, which is responsible for fluorescence quenching. It has been shown that multicomponent ZnS/CdS/ZnS shells of CdSe cores of quantum dots, which have a relatively small thickness, make it possible to significantly suppress a decrease in the quantum yield of fluorescence of quantum dots as compared to both the classical ZnS thin shell and superthick shells of the same composition. Thus, core/multicomponent shell CdSe/ZnS/CdS/ZnS quantum dots can be used as optimal fluorescent probes for the development of systems for diagnosis and treatment of cancer with the use of anticancer compounds based on acridine derivatives.     

Specific features of luminescence quenching in a nematic liquid crystal doped with nanoparticles

The change in the intensity of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) composites as a function of the concentration of CdSe/ZnS semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and TiO₂ and ZrO₂ nanoparticles ~5 nm in diameter has been investigated. It is shown that the PL-quenching intensity in composites with CdSe/ZnS QDs exceeds that in composites with TiO₂ and ZrO₂ nanoparticles. The lowfrequency spectra of these composites with a concentration of 0.1 wt %, recorded in the range of 10²–10³ Hz, and the content of mobile ions in them have been investigated. It is found that the dielectric loss in the composite with CdSe/ZnS QDs is much higher and the content of mobile ions is larger by a factor of 3 than in the composites with TiO₂ and ZrO₂ nanoparticles. It is shown that an increase in the CdSe/ZnS QD concentration in NLC composites leads to an increase in the dielectric loss and a decrease in the PL intensity. Possible mechanisms of the interaction between NLC molecules and CdSe/ZnS QDs are discussed.     

核壳型ZnS∶Cu/ZnS量子点的制备及发光性质

本文采用水相合成方法制备了ZnS∶Cu量子点并进行了ZnS壳层修饰,研究了壳层厚度对ZnS∶Cu量子点光学性质的影响,采用TEM、XRD、PL、PLE和UV-Vis等测试方法对其进行了表征。实验结果表明,合成的ZnS∶Cu/ZnS量子点为立方闪锌矿,尺寸分布均匀呈球形,分散性良好,经过壳层修饰平均粒径由2 nm增加到3.2 nm。随着ZnS壳与ZnS核量的比的增加,量子点的PLE激发峰位置和UV-Vis吸收谱线出现红移,也说明了量子点的尺寸增大,证明ZnS在ZnS∶Cu量子点的表面生长,形成了核壳结构的ZnS∶Cu/ZnS量子点。随着壳层增厚,量子点与铜离子发光中心相关的发射峰强度先增大后减小,当壳核比n_s/n_c=2.5时,发光强度达到最大。     

Experimental investigation of energy transfer between CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and different-sized gold nanoparticles

Hybrid nanostructures of quantum dots(QDs) and metallic nanostructure are attractive for future use in a variety of optoelectronic devices. For photodetection applications, it is important that the photoluminescence (PL) of QDs is quenched by the metallic nanostructures. Here, the quenching efficiency of CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) with different sized gold nanoparticles (NPs) films through energy transfer is investigated by measuring the PL intensity of the hybrid nanostructures. In our research, the gold NPs films are formed by the post-annealing of the deposited Au films on the quartz substrate. We find that the energy transfer from the QDs to the Au NPs strongly depends on the sizes of the Au NPs. For CdSe/ZnS QDs direct contact with the Au NPs films, the largest energy transfer efficiency are detected when the resonance absorption peak of the Au NPs is nearest to the emission peak of the CdSe/ZnS QDs. However, when there is a PMMA spacer between the QDs layer and the Au NPs films, firstly, we find that the energy transfer efficiency is weakened, and the largest energy transfer efficiency is obtained when the resonant absorption peak of the Au NPs is farthest to the emission peak wavelength of CdSe/ZnS QDs. These results will be useful for the potential design of the high efficiency QDs optoelectronic devices.     

ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS量子点发光光谱特性的研究

ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS量子点是一种无毒,无重金属的“绿色”半导体纳米材料。在研究中,制备了三种尺寸的ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS核壳量子点,其直径分别为3.3,2.7,2.3 nm。通过测量不同尺寸的ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS量子点的光致发光光谱,其发射峰值波长随尺寸的减小而蓝移。其吸收峰值波长和发射峰值波长分别是510,611(3.3 nm),483,583(2.7 nm)以及447,545 nm(2.3 nm)。ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS量子点具有显著的尺寸依赖效应。ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS量子点的斯托克斯位移分别为398 meV(3.3 nm),436 meV(2.7 nm)以及498 meV(2.3 nm),这样大的斯托克斯位移证明,ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS量子点的发光机制与缺陷能级有关。同时,对直径为3.3 nm的ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS量子点进行了温度依赖的光致发光光谱的测量,当温度为15～90 ℃时,该量子点发射峰值波长随温度的升高而红移,发光强度随温度的升高而降低,说明ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS量子点是以导带能级与缺陷能级之间跃迁为主的复合发光。     

Re-charging the luminescence states in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots at the conjugation to Osteopontin antibodies

The paper presents the original study of photoluminescence (PL) and Raman scattering spectra of core–shell CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) covered by the amine-derivatized polyethylene glycol (PEG) with luminescence interface states. First commercially available CdSe/ZnS QDs with emission at 640 nm (1.94 eV) covered by PEG polymer have been studied in nonconjugated states. PL spectra of nonconjugated QDs are characterized by a superposition of PL bands related to exciton emission in a CdSe core and to the hot electron–hole recombination via high energy luminescence states. The study of high energy PL bands in QDs at different temperatures has shown that these PL bands are related to luminescence interface states at the CdSe/ZnS or ZnS/polymer interface. Then CdSe/ZnS QDs have been conjugated with biomolecules—the Osteopontin antibodies. It is revealed that the PL spectrum of bioconjugated QDs changed essentially with decreasing hot electron–hole recombination flow via luminescence interface states. It is shown that the QD bioconjugation process to Osteopontin antibodies is complex and includes the covalent and electrostatic interactions between them. The variation of PL spectra due to the bioconjugation is explained on the basis of electrostatic interaction between the QDs and biomolecule dipoles that stimulates re-charging QD interface states. The study of Raman scattering of bioconjugated CdSe/ZnS QDs has confirmed that the antibody molecules have the electric dipoles. It is shown that CdSe/ZnS QDs with luminescence interface states are promising for the study of bioconjugation effects with specific antibodies and can be a powerful technique in biology and medicine.     

CdSe/ZnSe/ZnS多壳层结构量子点的制备与表征

展示了一种简捷的多壳层量子点合成路线。在含有过量Se源的CdSe体系中直接注入Zn源,"一步法"合成了CdSe/ZnSe量子点;进一步以CdSe/ZnSe为"核",表面外延生长ZnS壳层制备了核/壳/壳结构CdSe/ZnSe/ZnS量子点。相对于以往报道的多壳层结构量子点的制备方法,该方法通过减少壳层的生长步骤有效地简化了实验操作,缩短了实验周期,同时减少对原料的损耗。对量子点进行高温退火处理,能够大幅提高CdSe/ZnSe/ZnS量子点的发光量子产率。透射电镜、XRD以及光谱研究表明:所制备的量子点接近球形,核与壳层纳米晶均为闪锌矿结构,最终获得的CdSe/ZnSe/ZnS量子点的光致发光量子产率达到53％。为了实现量子点的表面生物功能化,通过巯基酸进行了表面配体交换修饰,使量子点表面具有水溶性的羧基功能团,并且能够维持较高的光致发光量子产率。     

Surface-enhanced emission from single semiconductor nanocrystals

The fluorescence behavior of single CdSe(ZnS) core-shell nanocrystal (NC) quantum dots is dramatically affected by electromagnetic interactions with a rough metal film. Observed changes include a fivefold increase in the observed fluorescence intensity of single NCs, a striking reduction in their fluorescence blinking behavior, complete conversion of the emission polarization to linear, and single NC exciton lifetimes that are >10(3) times faster. The enhanced excited state decay process for NCs coupled to rough metal substrates effectively competes with the Auger relaxation process, allowing us to observe both charged and neutral exciton emission from these NC quantum dots.     

Strong Photoluminescence Enhancement from Colloidal Quantum Dot Near Silver Nano-Island Films

We present the fabrication and optical investigation of highly random self-assembled, nano-scale films, probing their influence on the luminescence properties of near surface CdSe/ZnS colloidal quantum dots. When compared to quantum dots distributed on unstructured quartz substrates, the average luminescence intensity is found to be enhanced by a factor of 160×. The silver nanoparticles are prepared using slow thermal evaporation on quartz substrates and post-deposition annealing to produce a randomly-arranged layer of smooth nano-islands. Clear polarization dependent hot spots are observed. Such hot spots deliver a maximal enhancement of the emission intensity of 240× and have a spatial density of (0.050±0.002) μm^− 2. The results show that silver nano-island films strongly enhance the optical efficiency of near quantum dots emitters.     

球形CdSe/ZnS核壳量子点的三阶极化率参量相关特征

在有效质量近似下,利用密度矩阵理论,采用无限深势阱模型,推导出了CdSe/ZnS核壳结构球形量子点的非线性光学中自聚焦效应的三阶极化率表达式。通过数值计算,分析了球形CdSe/ZnS核壳结构量子点的三阶极化率与量子点尺寸和入射光频率之间的关系。并对结果作出了必要的理论解释。     

Demonstration of a nanoparticle-based optical diode

We present the operation of an optical device that exhibits diodelike properties based on two adjacent layers of quantum dots (QDs) encased in a fiber-optic jacket. The possibility of a multilayered device is also discussed. A significant change in the emission spectrum of CdSe/ZnS core-shell QDs was observed when excited by the input laser and the fluorescence of other CdSe/ZnS core-shell QDs. The output of the diode can be taken to be either the incoming laser wavelength of light similar to a conventional diode, or the output may be considered to be one of the QD fluorescence wavelengths. Current work has applications in biological fluorescence monitors and sensors as well as in telecommunications applications.     

Creation and Investigation of Organic Light-Emitting Structures Containing Arrays of Colloidal Quantum Dots

We have created organic electroluminescent structures—ITO/TPD/Alq3/Al and ITO/PEDOT:PSS/TPD/Alq3/Al—which are organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Experiments on the incorporation of CdSe/ZnS colloidal quantum dots into the active layer of the structure have been performed. The parameters of the created structures have been determined using optical-spectroscopy methods. The appropriateness of using the method of high-speed vacuum thermal deposition as a main method for the deposition of structural layers has been demonstrated, and the possibility of accelerated formation of layers of the material without disturbing its chemical structure has been shown. By measuring the photoluminescence spectra at different points in samples, we have determined the quality of the obtained structures and plotted maps of the radiation power distribution of the material and of its thickness. Recommendations for the creation of upper contacts and other regions of light-emitting structures have been formulated. We have created organic structures with ITO/PEDOT:PSS/TPD/TPD + CQD’s CdSe/Alq3/Al colloidal quantum dots, in which electroluminescence of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots has been obtained for a wide range of applied voltages. It has been shown that the introduction of colloidal quantum dots into the structure leads to a significant modification of its electroluminescence spectrum.     

Control of efficiency of photon energy up-conversion in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

Efficient photoluminescence (PL) up-conversion in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots prepared by an organometallic approach is reported. It is demonstrated that the efficiency of photon energy up-conversion and the magnitude of the spectral shift can be controlled by (i) the thickness of the ZnS layers, (ii) the temperature dependence of the excited-state absorption coefficient, and (iii) the dependence on the excitation intensity. From the analysis of the experimental data, it is proposed that intrinsic gap states are involved as intermediate states in the PL up-conversion, rather than nonlinear two-photon absorption or Auger processes.     

ZnS:Ag/CdS: a new family of color-tunable quantum dots

ZnS:Ag/CdS quantum dots (QDs) have been synthesized by a reverse micelle process under ambient environment. Excited by 350?nm, the emission peak of ZnS:Ag/CdS QDs changes from 425 to 625?nm with increasing the thickness of CdS shells. Although the quantum yields of QDs decrease with CdS shells thickening, the luminescent brightness remains stable throughout. Compared with the traditional color-tunable CdSe QDs, the synthesis of ZnS:Ag/CdS QDs is less toxic and more economic. Therefore, this synthesis process can be regarded as an efficient way to fabricate a series of luminescent nanostructures for a variety of applications.     

Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy Study on the Photophysical Behavior of Quantum Dots

Room-temperature time-resolved luminescence measurements on single CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are presented. Fluorescence emission spectra were recorded over periods of up to 30 minutes with a time resolution as small as 6 ms. For QDs in ambient air, a clear 30–40 nm blue shift in the emission wavelength is observed, before the luminescence stops after about 2–3 minutes because of photobleaching. In a nitrogen atmosphere, the blue shift is absent while photobleaching occurs after much longer times (i.e., 10–15 minutes). These observations are explained by photoinduced oxidation. The CdSe surface is oxidized during illumination in the presence of oxygen. This effectively results in shrinkage of the CdSe core diameter by almost 1 nm and consequently in a blue shift. The faster fading of the luminescence in air suggests that photoinduced oxidation results in the formation of non-radiative recombination centers at the CdSe/CdSeO_x interface. In a nitrogen atmosphere, photoinduced oxidation is prevented by the absence of oxygen. Additionally, a higher initial light output for CdSe/ZnS QDs in air is observed. This can be explained by a fast reduction of the lifetime of the long-lived defect states of CdSe QDs by oxygen.     

温度对CdSe/znS量子点吸收光谱和光致发光谱的影响

测量了分散于正己烷溶液和甲苯溶液中的CdSe/ZnS量子点在室温到近溶液沸点温度间的吸收与光致发光光谱,比较了两种不同的CdSe/ZnS量子点的光谱特性,讨论了温度对吸收和光致发光光谱峰值波长以及相对强度的影响。结果表明:在25~100℃范围内,CdSe/ZnS量子点激子吸收峰波长有微小红移,最大约为4nm;光致发光光谱峰值波长略有红移,但最大不超过6nm。根据光致发光光谱测量的结果,确定了Varshni定律中关于CdSe/ZnS量子点禁带宽度的两个经验参数:α=(2.0±0.2)×10^-4eV/K和β=(200±30)K。温度对CdSe/ZnS量子点吸收强度影响不大,荧光发射强度与温度呈线性关系增强。