Facile fabrication of fluorescent-superhydrophobic bifunctional ligand-free quantum dots

We present herein a facile strategy for fabrication of fluorescent-ultrahydrophobic bifunctional ligand-free CdS quantum dots (QDs) using cadmium acetate, sodium sulfide as starting materials, and ethanol as the solvent. The as-prepared CdS QDs without ligands exhibit good photochemical stability and photoluminescence (PL) in comparison with the previously reported aqueous CdS QDs. The effects of various experimental variables, including Cd/S molar ratio, reaction time, and reaction temperature on the optical properties of the obtained CdS QDs have been systematically investigated. Subsquently, dodecanethiol was introduced to modify these CdS QDs, further conferring them with superhydrophobic property, along with good compatibility with polymers. The features and structures of the as-prepared QDs and their hybrids on UV–Vis, PL spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and contact angle have been disscussed.