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Probing the Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Dynamics in Colloidal Donor-Acceptor Quantum Dots Assemblies

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Abstract

In this article, we report the synthesis of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) by hydrothermal method and surface modified CdS quantum dots (QDs) via the colloidal method and the fabrication of their dyad. The CdS QDs functionalized by mercaptoacetic acid (MAA) attach to the GQDs via electrostatic interactions. Spectral overlapping between the emission spectrum of GQDs and the absorption spectrum of CdS QDs allows efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from GQDs to the CdS QDs in the GQDs-CdS QDs dyads. The magnitude of FRET efficiency (E) and the rate of energy transfer (kE) assessed by the photoluminescence (PL) decay kinetics are ~61.84% and ⁓3.8 × 108 s− 1, respectively. These high values of FRET efficiency and energy transfer rate can be assigned to the existence of strong electrostatic interactions between GQDs and CdS QDs, which arise due to the presence of polar functionalities on the surface of both GQDs and CdS QDs. The understanding of energy transfer in the luminescent donor-acceptor FRET system is of significant importance and the practical implications of such FRET systems could overall improve the efficiency of photovoltaics, sensing, imaging and optoelectronic devices.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are highly thankful for the financial support of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan through the equipment/research grants 6976/Federal/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2017 and 20-3071/NRPU/R&D/HEC/13.

Funding

This study was supported by Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan through the equipment/research grants 6976/Federal/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2017 and 20-3071/NRPU/R&D/HEC/13.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Quaid-I-Azam University, 45320, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Adnan Khalid, Muhammad Mubeen, Maria Mukhtar, Zumaira Siddique, Poshmal Sumreen & Azhar Iqbal

  2. Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, 06800, Turkey

    Muhammad Adnan Khalid, Firdevs Aydın & Demet Asil

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  1. Muhammad Adnan Khalid
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Contributions

All authors contribute to the study of conception and design. Muhammad Adnan Khalid performed the experiments and wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. Muhammad Mubeen, Maria Mukhtar, Zumaira Siddique, Poshmal Sumreen and Firdevs Aydın helped to conduct the experiments and data acquisition. Demet Asil commented on the manuscript and revised. Azhar Iqbal perceived the idea, acquired the funding and supervised the work and writing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Azhar Iqbal.

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Khalid, M.A., Mubeen, M., Mukhtar, M. et al. Probing the Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Dynamics in Colloidal Donor-Acceptor Quantum Dots Assemblies. J Fluoresc 33, 2523–2529 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-023-03301-4

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