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Burkitt-Gray M, Casavola M, Clark PCJ, Fairclough SM, Flavell WR, Fleck RA, Haigh SJ, Ke JCR, Leontiadou M, Lewis EA, Osiecki J, Qazi-Chaudhry B, Vizcay-Barrena G, Wichiansee W, Green M. Structural investigations into colour-tuneable fluorescent InZnP-based quantum dots from zinc carboxylate and aminophosphine precursors. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:1763-1774. [PMID: 36601869 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr02803d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescent InP-based quantum dots have emerged as valuable nanomaterials for display technologies, biological imaging, and optoelectronic applications. The inclusion of zinc can enhance both their emissive and structural properties and reduce interfacial defects with ZnS or CdS shells. However, the sub-particle distribution of zinc and the role this element plays often remains unclear, and it has previously proved challenging to synthesise Zn-alloyed InP-based nanoparticles using aminophosphine precursors. In this report, we describe the synthesis of alloyed InZnP using zinc carboxylates, achieving colour-tuneable fluorescence from the unshelled core materials, followed by a one-pot ZnS or CdS deposition using diethyldithiocarbamate precursors. Structural analysis revealed that the "core/shell" particles synthesised here were more accurately described as homogeneous extended alloys with the constituent shell elements diffusing through the entire core, including full-depth inclusion of zinc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Burkitt-Gray
- Department of Physics, King's College London, The Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, King's College London, New Hunt's House, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Marianna Casavola
- Department of Physics, King's College London, The Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
| | - Pip C J Clark
- The Photon Science Institute, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Schuster Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Simon M Fairclough
- Department of Physics, King's College London, The Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
| | - Wendy R Flavell
- The Photon Science Institute, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Schuster Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Roland A Fleck
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, King's College London, New Hunt's House, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Sarah J Haigh
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jack Chun-Ren Ke
- The Photon Science Institute, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Schuster Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Marina Leontiadou
- The Photon Science Institute, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Schuster Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Edward A Lewis
- Department of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jacek Osiecki
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University, Box 118, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Basma Qazi-Chaudhry
- Department of Physics, King's College London, The Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
| | - Gema Vizcay-Barrena
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, King's College London, New Hunt's House, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Wijittra Wichiansee
- Department of Physics, King's College London, The Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
| | - Mark Green
- Department of Physics, King's College London, The Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
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Sanmartín-Matalobos J, Bermejo-Barrera P, Aboal-Somoza M, Fondo M, García-Deibe AM, Corredoira-Vázquez J, Alves-Iglesias Y. Semiconductor Quantum Dots as Target Analytes: Properties, Surface Chemistry and Detection. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12142501. [PMID: 35889725 PMCID: PMC9318497 DOI: 10.3390/nano12142501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Since the discovery of Quantum Dots (QDs) by Alexey I. Ekimov in 1981, the interest of researchers in that particular type of nanomaterials (NMs) with unique optical and electrical properties has been increasing year by year. Thus, since 2009, the number of scientific articles published on this topic has not been less than a thousand a year. The increasing use of QDs due to their biomedical, pharmaceutical, biological, photovoltaics or computing applications, as well as many other high-tech uses such as for displays and solid-state lighting (SSL), has given rise to a considerable number of studies about its potential toxicity. However, there are a really low number of reported studies on the detection and quantification of QDs, and these include ICP–MS and electrochemical analysis, which are the most common quantification techniques employed for this purpose. The knowledge of chemical phenomena occurring on the surface of QDs is crucial for understanding the interactions of QDs with species dissolved in the dispersion medium, while it paves the way for a widespread use of chemosensors to facilitate its detection. Keeping in mind both human health and environmental risks of QDs as well as the scarcity of analytical techniques and methodological approaches for their detection, the adaptation of existing techniques and methods used with other NMs appears necessary. In order to provide a multidisciplinary perspective on QD detection, this review focused on three interrelated key aspects of QDs: properties, surface chemistry and detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Sanmartín-Matalobos
- Coordination and Supramolecular Chemistry Group (SupraMetal), Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials (iMATUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.F.); (J.C.-V.); (Y.A.-I.)
- Correspondence: (J.S.-M.); (A.M.G.-D.)
| | - Pilar Bermejo-Barrera
- Trace Element, Speciation and Spectroscopy Group (GETEE), Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials (iMATUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (P.B.-B.); (M.A.-S.)
| | - Manuel Aboal-Somoza
- Trace Element, Speciation and Spectroscopy Group (GETEE), Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials (iMATUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (P.B.-B.); (M.A.-S.)
| | - Matilde Fondo
- Coordination and Supramolecular Chemistry Group (SupraMetal), Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials (iMATUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.F.); (J.C.-V.); (Y.A.-I.)
| | - Ana M. García-Deibe
- Coordination and Supramolecular Chemistry Group (SupraMetal), Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials (iMATUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.F.); (J.C.-V.); (Y.A.-I.)
- Correspondence: (J.S.-M.); (A.M.G.-D.)
| | - Julio Corredoira-Vázquez
- Coordination and Supramolecular Chemistry Group (SupraMetal), Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials (iMATUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.F.); (J.C.-V.); (Y.A.-I.)
| | - Yeneva Alves-Iglesias
- Coordination and Supramolecular Chemistry Group (SupraMetal), Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials (iMATUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (M.F.); (J.C.-V.); (Y.A.-I.)
- Trace Element, Speciation and Spectroscopy Group (GETEE), Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials (iMATUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida das Ciencias s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (P.B.-B.); (M.A.-S.)
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Sujith M, Vishnu EK, Sappati S, Oliyantakath Hassan MS, Vijayan V, Thomas KG. Ligand-Induced Ground- and Excited-State Chirality in Silicon Nanoparticles: Surface Interactions Matter. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:5074-5086. [PMID: 35258297 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c13698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Silicon-based light-emitting materials have emerged as a favorable substitute to various organic and inorganic systems due to silicon's high natural abundance, low toxicity, and excellent biocompatibility. However, efforts on the design of free-standing silicon nanoparticles with chiral non-racemic absorption and emission attributes are rather scare. Herein, we unravel the structural requirements for ligand-induced chirality in silicon-based nanomaterials by functionalizing with D- and L-isomers of a bifunctional ligand, namely, tryptophan. The structural aspects of these systems are established using high-resolution high-angle annular dark-field imaging in the scanning transmission electron microscopy mode, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Silicon nanoparticles capped with L- and D-isomers of tryptophan displayed positive and negative monosignated circular dichroic signals and circularly polarized luminescence indicating their ground- and excited-state chirality. Various studies supported by density functional theory calculations signify that the functionalization of indole ring nitrogen on the silicon surface plays a decisive role in modifying the chiroptical characteristics by generating emissive charge-transfer states. The chiroptical responses originate from the multipoint interactions of tryptophan with the nanoparticle surface through the indole nitrogen and -CO2- groups that can transmit an enantiomeric structural imprint on the silicon surface. However, chiroptical properties are not observed in phenylalanine- and alanine-capped silicon nanoparticles, which are devoid of Si-N bonds and chiral footprints. Thus, the ground- and excited-state chiroptics in tryptophan-capped silicon nanoparticles originates from the collective effect of ligand-bound emissive charge-transfer states and chiral footprints. Being the first report on the circularly polarized luminescence in silicon nanoparticles, this work will open newer possibilities in the field of chirality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meleppatt Sujith
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram 695551, India
| | - E Krishnan Vishnu
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram 695551, India
| | - Subrahmanyam Sappati
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram 695551, India
| | - Muhammed Shafeek Oliyantakath Hassan
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram 695551, India
| | - Vinesh Vijayan
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram 695551, India
| | - K George Thomas
- School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram 695551, India
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