Type-II quantum dots: CdTe/CdSe(core/shell) and CdSe/ZnTe(core/shell) heterostructures

Type-II band engineered quantum dots (CdTe/CdSe(core/shell) and CdSe/ZnTe(core/shell) heterostructures) are described. The optical properties of these type-II quantum dots are studied in parallel with their type-I counterparts. We demonstrate that the spatial distribution of carriers can be controlled within the type-II quantum dots, which makes their properties strongly governed by the band offset of the comprising materials. This allows access to optical transition energies that are not restricted to band gap energies. The type-II quantum dots reported here can emit at lower energies than the band gaps of comprising materials. The type-II emission can be tailored by the shell thickness as well as the core size. The enhanced control over carrier distribution afforded by these type-II materials may prove useful for many applications, such as photovoltaics and photoconduction devices.     

Effect of CdS Interlayer on Properties of CdTe Based Quantum Dots

Highly luminescent thioglycolic acid-capped CdTe-based core/shell quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized through encapsulating CdTe QDs in various inorganic shells including CdS, ZnS and CdZnS. CdTe/CdS core/shell QDs exhibited a significant redshift of emission peaks (a maximum emission peak of 652 nm for the core/shell QDs and 575 nm for CdTe cores) with increasing shell thickness. In contrast, the redshift of photoluminescence (PL) peak wavelength of CdTe/ZnS QDs was less than 15 nm. The PL peak wavelengths of the core/shell QDs depended strongly on core size and shell thickness. The PL quantum yields (QYs) of the CdTe/CdS core/shell QDs are up to 67 % while that of CdTe/ZnS core/shell QDs is 45 %. A composite CdZnS shell made CdTe cores a high PL QY up to 51 % and broadly adjusted PL spectra (a maximum PL peak wavelength of 664 nm). The epitaxial growth of the shell was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction analysis and luminescence decay experiments. Because of high PL QYs, tunable PL spectra, and low toxicity from a ZnS surface layer, CdTe/CdZnS core/shell QDs will be great potential for bioapplications.     

Highly Stable CdSe/CdS/ZnS Fluorophores in Acidic Environment: Acile Preparation and Modification of Core/shell/shell Nanocrystals

We described a facile method for preparing CdSe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell nanocrystals from air-stable single source precursors.The single source precursors of cadmium ethylxanthate and zinc ethylxanthate were used to form CdS and ZnS shell layers in octadecene.An efficient modification of CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanocrystals was subsequently performed to obtain hydrophilic nanocrystal fluorophores with good stability in a pH range of 1.6-10.     

Single-source precursor route for overcoating CdS and ZnS shells around CdSe core nanocrystals

We reported a facile route for overcoating CdS and ZnS shells around colloidal CdSe core nanocrystals. To synthesize such double shelled core/shell nanocrystals, first, CdSe core nanocrystals were prepared in a much “greener” and cheap route, which did not involve the use of hazardous and expensive trioctylphosphine. Then, a low-cost and labor-saving route was adopted for the CdS and ZnS shell growth with the use of thermal decomposition of commercial available air stable single-source precursors cadmium diethyldithio-carbamate and zinc diethyldithiocarbamate in a non-coordinating solvent at intermediate temperatures. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns and transmission electron microscopy images confirm the epitaxial growth of the shell in the core/shell nanocrystals. The photoluminescence quantum yield of the resulting CdSe/CdS/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals can be as high as 90% in organic media and up to 60% after phase transfer into aqueous media. By varying the size of CdSe cores, the emission wavelength of the obtained core/shell nanostructures can span from 554 to 636 nm.     

Solution-based II-VI core/shell nanowire heterostructures

We demonstrate the solution-phase synthesis of CdS/CdSe, CdSe/CdS, and CdSe/ZnTe core/shell nanowires (NWs). On the basis of bulk band offsets, type-I and type-II heterostructures are made, contributing to the further development of low-dimensional heteroassemblies using solution-phase chemistry. Core/shell wires are prepared by slowly introducing shell precursors into a solution of premade core NWs dispersed in a noncoordinating solvent at moderate temperatures (215-250 degrees C). Resulting heterostructures are characterized through low- and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. From these experiments, initial shell growth appears to occur through either Stranski-Krastanov or Volmer-Weber island growth. However, beyond a critical shell thickness, nucleation of randomly oriented nanocrystals results in a polycrystalline coat. In cases where overcoating has been achieved, corresponding elemental analyses show spatially varying compositions along the NW radial direction in agreement with expected element ratios. Electronic interactions between the core and shell were subsequently probed through optical studies involving UV-vis extinction spectroscopy, photoluminescence experiments, and transient differential absorption spectroscopy. In particular, transient differential absorption studies reveal unexpected shell-induced changes in core NW Auger kinetics at high carrier densities. Previously seen three-carrier Auger kinetics in CdS (bimolecular in CdSe) NWs were suppressed by the presence of a CdSe (CdS) shell. These observations suggest the ability to influence NW optical/electrical properties by coating them with a surrounding shell, a method which could be important for future NW optical studies as well as for NW-based applications.     

水溶性的CdSe/CdS/ZnS量子点的合成及表征

用L-半胱氨酸盐(Cys)作为稳定剂,合成了水溶性的双壳结构的CdSe/CdS/ZnS半导体量子点。吸收光谱和荧光光谱结果表明,双壳结构的CdSe/CdS/ZnS纳米微粒比单一的CdSe核纳米粒子和单核壳结构的CdSe/CdS纳米粒子具有更优异的发光特性。用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、ED、XRD、XPS和FTIR等方法对CdSe核和双壳层的CdSe/CdS/ZnS纳米微粒的结构、分散性及形貌分别进行了表征。     

Hybrid approach to the synthesis of highly luminescent CdTe/ZnS and CdHgTe/ZnS nanocrystals

We report the synthesis of highly luminescent CdTe/ZnS and CdHgTe/ZnS core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs). A hybrid of two synthesis routes leads to novel nanocrystal compositions and small core/shell sizes (4-5 nm) that emit in the far-red and near-infrared regions. These particles exhibit higher resistance to oxidation and photobleaching, have high quantum yields, and could be used for biological labeling and imaging.     

Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in CdSe/CdS/ZnS Quantum Dots

The intra- and inter-band relaxation dynamics of CdSe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell quantum dots are investigated with the aid of time-resolved nonlinear transmission spectra which are obtained using femtosecond pump-probe technique. By selectively exciting the core and shell carrier, the dynamics are studied in detail. Carrier relaxation is found faster in the conduction band of the CdS shell (about 130 fs) than that in the conduction band of the CdSe core (about 400 fs). From the experiments it is distinctly demonstrated the existence of the defect states in the interface between the CdSe core and the CdS shell, indicating thatultrafast spectroscopy might be a suitable tool in studying interface and surface morphology properties in nanosystems.     

Super Sensitization: Grand Charge (Hole/Electron) Separation in ATC Dye Sensitized CdSe,CdSe/ZnS Type‐I,and CdSe/CdTe Type‐II Core–Shell Quantum Dots

Ultrafast charge‐transfer dynamics has been demonstrated in CdSe quantum dots (QD), CdSe/ZnS type‐I core–shell, and CdSe/CdTe type‐II core–shell nanocrystals after sensitizing the QD materials by aurin tricarboxylic acid (ATC), in which CdSe QD and ATC form a charge‐transfer complex. Energy level diagrams suggest that the conduction and valence band of CdSe lies below the LUMO and the HOMO level of ATC, respectively, thus signifying that the photoexcited hole in CdSe can be transferred to ATC and that photoexcited ATC can inject electrons into CdSe QD, which has been confirmed by steady state and time‐resolved luminescence studies and also by femtosecond time‐resolved absorption measurements. The effect of shell materials (for both type‐I and type‐II) on charge‐transfer processes has been demonstrated. Electron injection in all the systems were measured to be <150 fs. However, the hole transfer time varied from 900 fs to 6 ps depending on the type of materials. The hole‐transfer process was found to be most efficient in CdSe QD. On the other hand, it has been found to be facilitated in CdSe/CdTe type‐II and retarded in CdSe/ZnS type‐I core–shell materials. Interestingly, electron injection from photoexcited ATC to both CdSe/CdTe type‐II and CdSe/ZnS type‐I core–shell has been found to be more efficient as compared to pure CdSe QD. Our observation suggests the potential of quantum dot core–shell super sensitizers for developing more efficient quantum dot solar cells.     

Epitaxial growth and photochemical annealing of graded CdS/ZnS shells on colloidal CdSe nanorods

We report the preparation and structural characterization of core/shell CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanorods. A graded shell of larger band gap is grown around CdSe rods using trioctylphosphine oxide as a surfactant. Interfacial segregation is used to preferentially deposit CdS near the core, providing relaxation of the strain at the core/shell interface. The reported synthesis allows for variation of the shell thickness between one and six monolayers, on core nanorods ranging from aspect ratios of 2:1 to 10:1. After an irreversible photochemical annealing process, the core/shell nanorods have increased quantum efficiencies and are stable in air under visible or UV excitation. In addition to their robust optical properties, these samples provide an opportunity for the study of the evolution of epitaxial strain as the shape of the core varies from nearly spherical to nearly cylindrical.     

Intraband spectroscopy and band offsets of colloidal II-VI core/shell structures

The interband and intraband spectra of colloidal II-VI CdS and CdSe quantum dot cores and CdSZnSe, CdSCdSe, CdSeCdS, and CdSeZnSe core/shell systems are reported. Infrared absorption peaks between 0.5 and 0.2 eV are observed. The slope of the intraband energy versus the first interband absorption feature is characteristic of the relative band alignments of the materials constituting the core and the shell and it is analyzed within an effective mass model. The analysis provides a new estimate of the band gap of zinc blende CdSe as well as the band offsets in zinc blende and wurtzite CdSe, CdS, and ZnSe.     

Effect of layer thickness on the luminescence properties of ZnS/CdS/ZnS quantum dot quantum well

ZnS/CdS/ZnS quantum dot quantum well was prepared. The optical properties of ZnS/CdS/ZnS QDQW with different thickness of CdS well and ZnS shell were studied. Absorption spectra, emission spectra, and luminescence lifetimes were measured. The observed luminescence was assigned to the bulk donor-acceptor pair recombination of CdS and can be enhanced by increasing the thickness of the CdS well or coating an appropriate thickness of ZnS shell on the surface of the CdS well. The luminescence enhancement was caused by the relative reduce in the surface effect. The luminescence lifetimes were influenced strongly by the surface state.     

Large-scale synthesis of nearly monodisperse CdSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals using air-stable reagents via successive ion layer adsorption and reaction

Successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) originally developed for the deposition of thin films on solid substrates from solution baths is introduced as a technique for the growth of high-quality core/shell nanocrystals of compound semiconductors. The growth of the shell was designed to grow one monolayer at a time by alternating injections of air-stable and inexpensive cationic and anionic precursors into the reaction mixture with core nanocrystals. The principles of SILAR were demonstrated by the CdSe/CdS core/shell model system using its shell-thickness-dependent optical spectra as the probes with CdO and elemental S as the precursors. For this reaction system, a relatively high temperature, about 220-240 degrees C, was found to be essential for SILAR to fully occur. The synthesis can be readily performed on a multigram scale. The size distribution of the core/shell nanocrystals was maintained even after five monolayers of CdS shell (equivalent to about 10 times volume increase for a 3.5 nm CdSe nanocrystal) were grown onto the core nanocrystals. The epitaxial growth of the core/shell structures was verified by optical spectroscopy, TEM, XRD, and XPS. The photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) of the as-prepared CdSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals ranged from 20% to 40%, and the PL full-width at half-maximum (fwhm) was maintained between 23 and 26 nm, even for those nanocrystals for which the UV-vis and PL peaks red-shifted by about 50 nm from that of the core nanocrystals. Several types of brightening phenomena were observed, some of which can further boost the PL QY of the core/shell nanocrystals. The CdSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals were found to be superior in comparison to the highly luminescent CdSe plain core nanocrystals. The SILAR technique reported here can also be used for the growth of complex colloidal semiconductor nanostructures, such as quantum shells and colloidal quantum wells.     

Enhanced chemiluminescence from reactions between CdTe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots and periodate

A novel chemiluminescence (CL) performance of CdTe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with periodate (KIO₄) was studied. Effects of concentration and pH on the CL system were investigated. Electron spin resonance (ESR) and the effects of radical scavenger analysis were employed for identification of intermediate species. The CL spectra for this system showed only one maximum emission peak centered around 620 nm, which was similar with photoluminescence (PL) spectra of CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs. The CL of CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs was induced by direct chemical oxidation and the possible mechanism could be explained by radiative recombination of injected holes and electrons. This investigation not only provided new sight into the optical characteristics of CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs, but also broadened their potential optical utilizations.     

Surface‐State‐Mediated Charge‐Transfer Dynamics in CdTe/CdSe Core–Shell Quantum Dots

Herein, we report the synthesis of aqueous CdTe/CdSe type‐II core–shell quantum dots (QDs) in which 3‐mercaptopropionic acid is used as the capping agent. The CdTe QDs and CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs are characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM), steady‐state absorption, and emission spectroscopy. A red shift in the steady‐state absorption and emission bands is observed with increasing CdSe shell thickness over CdTe QDs. The XRD pattern indicates that the peaks are shifted to higher angles after growth of the CdSe shell on the CdTe QDs. HR‐TEM images of both CdTe and CdTe/CdSe QDs indicate that the particles are spherical, with a good shape homogeneity, and that the particle size increases by about 2 nm after shell formation. In the time‐resolved emission studies, we observe that the average emission lifetime (τ_av) increases to 23.5 ns for CdTe/CdSe (for the thickest shell) as compared to CdTe QDs (τ_av=12 ns). The twofold increment in the average emission lifetime indicates an efficient charge separation in type‐II CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs. Transient absorption studies suggest that both the carrier cooling and the charge‐transfer dynamics are affected by the presence of traps in the CdTe QDs and CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs. Carrier quenching experiments indicate that hole traps strongly affect the carrier cooling dynamics in CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs.     

Highly luminescent CdTe/CdSe colloidal heteronanocrystals with temperature-dependent emission color

In this work we present the preparation of highly luminescent anisotropic CdTe/CdSe colloidal heteronanocrystals. The reaction conditions used (low temperature, slow precursor addition, and surfactant composition) resulted in a tunable shape from prolate to branched CdTe/CdSe nanocrystals. Upon CdSe shell growth the heteronanocrystals show a gradual evolution from type-I to type-II optical behavior. These heteronanocrystals show a remarkably high photoluminescence quantum yield (up to 82%) and negligible thermally induced quenching up to temperatures as high as 373 K.     

CdTe/CdS核壳量子点与蛋白质荧光标记

利用连续离子层吸附技术合成了水溶性的CdTe／CdS核壳量子点．通过CdS壳层的包覆,量子点的量子效率由原来的15％（裸核）提高到38％（核壳）,这种核壳结构量子点的化学和光学性质具有更好的稳定性,可以用于生物标记．本文采取共价连接与静电吸附两种方法,实现了量子点的生物标记,电泳技术已证明,应用这种量子点成功地实现了对蛋白质分子的生物标记．通过对量子点与蛋白质偶联前后的荧光光谱分析,发现量子点与蛋白质作用后荧光增强是由于蛋白质对量子点进行了表面修饰,从而降低了表面缺陷引起的非辐射跃迁几率所致．通过共价连接量子点的荧光峰位红移,主要是由于偶极-偶极相互作用引起的;量子点与蛋白质静电吸附作用引起的荧光峰位蓝移主要起因于量子点表面电荷量的降低．     

核-壳结构CdSe/ZnS量子点的制备、硫醇修饰及其光学性能

采用高温有机相包覆技术制备了CdSe/ZnS核壳结构量子点材料,考察了包覆量对量子点材料的光学性能的影响,研究了含脂肪链和芳香基的双硫醇分子1,4-苯二甲硫醇和1,8-辛二硫醇对于具有核-壳结构的CdSe/ZnS量子点材料的修饰作用,考察了修饰作用对于量子点的量子效率和荧光强度等光学性能的影响.实验结果表明:随着硫化锌包覆量的增加,量子点的量子效率及其荧光发射强度明显提高;硫醇的修饰能显著增强量子点的发光强度,随着硫醇浓度的增加,其发光性能增强,但是达到一定程度后,光学性能基本不随硫醇浓度的变化而变化.根据固体核磁共振等实验结果推测:硫醇分子可能部分替代了量子点体系中的正三辛基氧膦配体,稳定了量子点体系,对量子点起修饰保护作用,从而提高了量子点的光学性能.     

Laser Assisted Catalytic Growth of ZnS/CdSe Core‐Shell and Wire‐Coil Nanowire Heterostructures

ZnS/CdSe core‐shell and wire‐coil nanowire heterostructures have been synthesized by chemical vapor deposition assisted with pulsed laser ablation. Measurements from high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction have revealed that both ZnS/CdSe core‐shell and wire‐coil nanowires are of single‐crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structures and grow along the [0001] direction. While the lattice parameters of ZnS and CdSe in the core‐shell nanowires are nearly equal to those of bulk ZnS and CdSe, change of the lattice parameters in the CdSe‐coil is attributed to the doping of Zn into CdSe, resulting in the relaxation of compressive strain at the interface between CdSe‐coil and ZnS‐wire. Composition variation across the interfacial regions in the ZnS/CdSe nanowire heterostructures ranges only 10–15 nm despite the pronounced lattice mismatch between ZnS and CdSe by ?11%. Growth mechanisms of the ZnS/CdSe nanowire heterostructures are discussed.     

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.