Facile fabrication of uniform silica films with highly luminescent hydrophobic QDs through direct phase transfer

Hydrophobic CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) were embedded in a transparent functional silica film with thickness of 10-15 µm using a sol-gel method. Namely, the QDs were prepared through an organic synthesis using hexadecylamine as a capping agent. When partially hydrolyzed 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) sol was mixed with a toluene solution of the QDs, the ligand exchange occurred. With subsequent addition of pure H2O, the QDs were transferred into APS sol accompanied with a phase separation. The APS sol with the QDs was condensed to adjust its' viscosity by the evaporation of solvents at room temperature. After that, functional SiO2 films with tunable QD concentrations and high photoluminescence (PL) efficiency were fabricated by a spin-coating strategy using the condensed APS sol with the QDs. The absorbance at first absorption peak of the QDs revealed a liner increase against the QD concentrations in these films. The PL peak wavelength and full width at half maximum of PL spectra of the QDs in these films remained unchange compared with their initial values in toluene. The QDs were mono- dispersed in these films according to transmission electron microscopy observation. Due to unique properties, these films are utilizable for further applications in optical and electronic devices. Copyright © 2011 VBRI press.