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Optical properties of highly luminescent, monodisperse, and ultrastable CdSe/V2O5 core/shell quantum dots for in-vitro imaging

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Abstract

Herein, a first report on the formation of high-quality CdSe/V2O5 core/shell quantum dots (QDs). A single-source cluster approach has been adopted to synthesize highly luminescent CdSe and CdSe/V2O5 core/shell QDs. X-ray diffraction pattern depicts a crystal structural phase transformation from Zinc blende to Wurzite for core/shell QDs. Steady-state absorption and emission studies indicate a significant red-shift in both absorption and emission peak after shell growth. Formation of core/shell structures have been confirmed by absorption spectra of CdSe (1–12 h) along with TEM images analysis. Raman studies of core/shell QDs shows a lower wave number shift in phonon frequency which is correlated with lattice contraction and indicates the intensive electron interaction between CdSe and V2O5. Biocompatibility test (with A549 cell line) of CdSe and CdSe/V2O5 core/shell QDs have been carried out to know about toxicity of these QDs and results exhibited a noticeable increase in viability of cell lines for core/shell QDs. These highly luminescent, ultrastable core/shell QDs can be used in many applications such as catalysis, solar cell, and cellular imaging.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to SERB, Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India to provide financial assistance under Project No. EEQ/2016/000652 and PURSE grant. Authors are thankful to UPE-II for providing funding under Project Nos. 58 & 172. Further, AIRF-JNU is heartfully acknowledged for providing characterization facilities. ANY is thankful to UGC, New Delhi for providing fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Amar Nath Yadav, Ashwani K. Singh & Kedar Singh

  2. Special Centre for Nanoscience, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Prem Prakash Sharma & Pratima R. Solanki

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  1. Amar Nath Yadav
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  2. Ashwani K. Singh
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Contributions

ANY carried the synthesis, characterizations and wrote the manuscript with the help of AKS. KS conceived the idea about synthesis, characterization, assisted in interpretation, conclusions and in the writing of the manuscript. PPS and PRS carried the biocompatibility part and help in the discussion. All authors have given approval to final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kedar Singh.

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Yadav, A.N., Singh, A.K., Sharma, P.P. et al. Optical properties of highly luminescent, monodisperse, and ultrastable CdSe/V2O5 core/shell quantum dots for in-vitro imaging. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 29, 18650–18659 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9984-1

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