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Facile fabrication of fluorescent-superhydrophobic bifunctional ligand-free quantum dots

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Abstract

We present herein a facile strategy for fabrication of fluorescent-ultrahydrophobic bifunctional ligand-free CdS quantum dots (QDs) using cadmium acetate, sodium sulfide as starting materials, and ethanol as the solvent. The as-prepared CdS QDs without ligands exhibit good photochemical stability and photoluminescence (PL) in comparison with the previously reported aqueous CdS QDs. The effects of various experimental variables, including Cd/S molar ratio, reaction time, and reaction temperature on the optical properties of the obtained CdS QDs have been systematically investigated. Subsquently, dodecanethiol was introduced to modify these CdS QDs, further conferring them with superhydrophobic property, along with good compatibility with polymers. The features and structures of the as-prepared QDs and their hybrids on UV–Vis, PL spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and contact angle have been disscussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (2012AA030313), National Natural Science Foundation of China-NSAF (10976012), the Natural Science Foundations for Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (10KJB530006 and 11KJB530004), the Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province Plans to Graduate Research and Innovation (Grant CXZZ12_0449), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Correspondence to Su Chen.

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Zhang, Q., Yang, J., Wang, CF. et al. Facile fabrication of fluorescent-superhydrophobic bifunctional ligand-free quantum dots. Colloid Polym Sci 291, 717–723 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-012-2781-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-012-2781-0

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