High fluorescence quantum efficiency of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots embedded in GPTS/TEOS-derived organic/silica hybrid colloids

Abstract

The thermo-optical properties of CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) embedded in organic/silica hybrid colloids (organic/silica sols) were measured using the thermal lens (TL) technique. GPTS/TEOS-derived organic/silica hybrid colloids were prepared by a sol-gel method from the hydrolysis reaction of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTS) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) alkoxides. TL transient measurements were performed to study the effect of the CdSe/ZnS QDs (with three different sizes similar to 2.4, 2.9 and 4.4 nm) embedded in GPTS/TEOS-derived organic/silica sols. The thermal diffusivity, the fraction thermal load and the radiative quantum efficiency (eta) were determined. Fluorescence measurements corroborate the TL results and high eta values were obtained. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.