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Ultrafast synthesis of CdTe/ZnSe semiconductor QDs by microwave method and investigation of structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of CdTe/ZnSe QDs

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Abstract

CdTe/ZnSe semiconductor quantum dots were synthesized by the ultrafast microwave method in an aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction results showed the formation of the cubic structure of CdTe/ZnSe quantum dots. XRD, EDX, RAMAN, FT-IR, and TEM results confirmed the successful formation of CdTe/ZnSe core/shell quantum dots. Photoluminescence results indicated significant enhancement in PL intensity of CdTe quantum dots and quantum efficiency of CdTe/ZnSe core/shell quantum dots obtained was about 56% and also synthesized quantum dots had a large red-shift from 530 to 660 nm. The photocatalyst performance of CdTe/ZnSe quantum dots was studied by methylene blue and methylene orange as a pollutant under both UV light and sun light and results indicated that photocatalyst activity of CdTe/ZnSe quantum dots with methylene blue under UV light was much superior to other samples and its degradation percentage, pseudo-linear degradation rate, and turn over frequency (TOF) obtained were about 79%, 13.6 × 10–3 , and 1.03 × 10–4 , respectively. Also, for understanding about the main reactive species in the photodegradation process of methylene blue by catalyst under UV illumination, different radical scavengers were used and results confirm that electrons have a main role in photodegradation process.

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  • 05 November 2021

    The original version of this articles is updated due to error in title.

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  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Iran

    Farzad Farahmandzadeh, Mehdi Molaei & Masoud Karimipour

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  1. Farzad Farahmandzadeh
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Farahmandzadeh, F., Molaei, M. & Karimipour, M. Ultrafast synthesis of CdTe/ZnSe semiconductor QDs by microwave method and investigation of structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of CdTe/ZnSe QDs. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 33, 95–104 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-07255-w

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