Hydrothermal Routes for the Synthesis of CdSe Core Quantum Dots

Raphaël Schneider (1) , Lavinia Balan (2)

1 LRGP - Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés
2 IS2M - Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse

The synthesis of QDs in aqueous solution is still pursued in hopes of providing a material that is easily fabricated and functionalized. During many years, the synthesis of CdSe in aqueous media has been investigated with limited success due to the low quantum yields and poor crystallinity of the nanoparticles produced. Moreover, the fluorescence of the CdSe QDs obtained by this approach cannot be controlled over a wide range. Direct synthesis of CdSe QDs in water is however a promising alternative route to organometallic reactions and facilitates the use of the dots in biological systems. Hydrothermal synthesis offers also the following advantages: (1) lower reaction temperatures with comparable PL QY; (2) does not use toxic and expensive organometallic reagents; (3) surface functionalization during synthesis without further treatment; (4) comparatively smaller sizes (3-8 nm) than those obtained after encapsulation of hydrophobic QDs with amphiphilic lipids or polymers (generally > 20 nm); (5) more reproducible. Thus, it is still a challenging task to develop a method for preparing CdSe QDs with the desired quality under mild and environmentally friendly conditions using a low-cost and simple method. In this review, we summarize the aqueous solution-based syntheses of CdSe nanocrystals developed in recent years and the applications of these nanocrystals.

Mots clés: quantum dots; cadmium selenide; aqueous phase synthesis; optical properties; biological applications

Domaines: Matériaux

Raphaël Schneider, Lavinia Balan. Hydrothermal Routes for the Synthesis of CdSe Core Quantum Dots. A. Al-Ahmadi. Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials: State of the Art of Quantum Dot Systems Fabrications, Intech, pp.119-140, 2012, nanomaterials, 978-953-307-913-4. ⟨10.5772/34977⟩. ⟨hal-00807788⟩