Stretchable silica gel-ZnSe:Mn/ZnS quantum dots for encoding

Transition metal doped quantum dots (d-dots) have attracted much attention owing to the high emission efficiency of the dopant ions together with the large Stocks shifts which can overcome the self-absorption issues. To date, most works focus on improving the optical properties by developing new synthetic routes. However, the integration of these luminescent materials on stretchable substrates is rarely involved. Here, we report the synthesis of stretchable luminescent silica gel-ZnSe:Mn/ZnS films. The as-prepared ZnSe:Mn/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) show a Stocks shift as large as 180 nm and a photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) as high as 61%. The potential application of the stretchable silica gel-QD films is explored. The prominent properties of the proposed silica gel-QD materials, including their impressive flexibility and highly bright emission suggest that they are promising candidates for smart optoelectronic devices due to their ability of being stretched into arbitrary shapes.