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Amine-derived synthetic approach to color-tunable InP/ZnS quantum dots with high fluorescent qualities

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Abstract

High-quality, Cd-free InP quantum dots (QDs) have been conventionally synthesized by exclusively selecting tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphine (P(TMS)3) as a phosphorus (P) precursor, which is problematic from the standpoint of green and economic chemistry. Thus, other synthetic chemistries adopting alternative P sources to P(TMS)3 have been introduced, however, they could not guarantee the production of satisfactorily fluorescence-efficient, color-pure InP QDs. In this study, the unprecedented controlled synthesis of a series of band-gap-tuned InP QDs is demonstrated through a hot-injection of a far safer and cheaper tris(dimethylamino)phosphine in the presence of a key coordinating solvent of oleylamine that enables successful QD nucleation/growth. Effects of the co-existence of Zn additive, the core growth temperature, and the amount of P source injected on the growth behaviors of InP QD are investigated. After ZnS overcoating by a successive injection of 1-dodecanethiol only, high-fluorescence-quality, green-to-red color emission-tunable core/shell QDs of InP/ZnS are obtained. The fluorescent characteristics of different color-emitting QDs desirably exhibit little fluctuations in quantum yield and emission bandwidth, specifically ranging 51–53 % and 60–64 nm, respectively. Lastly, the utility of the introduction of a secondary shelling process in rendering the QDs are more bright, photostable is also proved.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (No. 2011-0013377 and 2012K001320). This work was also supported by LG Electronics Co., Republic of Korea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul, 121-791, Republic of Korea

    Woo-Seuk Song, Hye-Seung Lee & Heesun Yang

  2. Materials and Devices Laboratory, LGE Advanced Research Institute, LG Electronics, Seoul, 137-724, Republic of Korea

    Ju Chul Lee, Dong Seon Jang, Yoonyoung Choi & Moongoo Choi

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  1. Woo-Seuk Song
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  2. Hye-Seung Lee
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  3. Ju Chul Lee
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  4. Dong Seon Jang
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  5. Yoonyoung Choi
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  6. Moongoo Choi
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  7. Heesun Yang
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Correspondence to Heesun Yang.

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Song, WS., Lee, HS., Lee, J.C. et al. Amine-derived synthetic approach to color-tunable InP/ZnS quantum dots with high fluorescent qualities. J Nanopart Res 15, 1750 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1750-y

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