Single pot synthesis of composition tunable CdSe–ZnSe (core–shell) and ZnxCd1–xSe (ternary alloy) nanocrystals with high luminescence and stability

AbstractIn this work, a simple, effective and reproducible synthetic route (single pot approach) for the preparation of high quality core–shell CdSe–ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) without the use of any pyrophoric organometallic precursors is presented. Effective surface passivation of stoichiometric, monodispersed, small sized (∼5 nm) CdSe nanocrystallites is achieved by overcoating them with a ZnSe shell using zinc acetate as a zinc source by single pot approach. The resulting core–shell nanocrystallites exhibit high quantum yield values (∼11·33%), narrow linewidth of the photoluminescence (PL) band, stable surface bonds configuration and superior structural properties at lower Zn content (∼10 at-%). With increasing Zn content (≥20 at-%), a composition tunable emission across the visible spectrum has been demonstrated by a systematic blue shift in emission wavelength due to the formation of ternary ZnxCd1–xSe QDs with acceptable luminescence properties. Here, contribution to emission process from surface state...