In the past few decades, trap emission was always believed hardly manipulated to luminescent quantum dots (QDs). Actually, not all trap emissions are useless. This work shows that the interface between MnSe dopant and ZnSe host could be used for manipulating irradiative defects with a controllable manner. This study focuses on three basic challenges for manipulating interface defects, including (i) how to introduce irradiative defects at the dopant–host interface, (ii) how to control the intensity of the interface trap emission, and (iii) how to tune QD emission color via the interface trap emission. Finally, this study shows the application of dopant–host interface defects in ratiometric optical thermometry.

The optical and bonding characteristics of doping ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) were investigated. Cd-, Mn-, Ag- and Cu-doped ZnSe were synthesized in aqueous solution. Theoretically, the intensity of the Cd–Se bond was similar to that of the Zn–Se bond, which illustrates that Cd can be doped into ZnSe materials at any ratio. We found that Mn–Se bonding was stronger than Zn–Se bonding. Ag-doped ZnSe nanoclusters show the same bonding and configuration as Cu-doped ZnSe. Moreover, Cd can be doped into ZnSe using both the substitution- and vacancy-doping method. For Mn-doped ZnSe clusters, small amounts of Mn impurity lead to stronger bonding with Se, but larger amounts of Mn impurity led to the formation of a Mn–Mn metal bond. The theoretical results show that it is difficult to form a vacancy-doping cluster for Mn-doped ZnSe materials. In experiments, the absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectral wavelengths of Mn-doped ZnSe nanocrystals were the same as those of pure ZnSe nanocrystals, showing that the Mn impurity is not doped into ZnSe nanocrystals. Ag- and Cu-doped ZnSe nanocrystals have the same PL characteristics. The doping of an impurity is related to the solubility product, and not the bonding intensity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Stable photoluminescence QD light-emitting diodes (QD-LEDs) were made based on hydrophilic CdTe quantum dots (QDs). A quantum dot-inorganic nanocomposite (hydrophilic CdTe QDs incorporating dehydrated silica gel) was prepared by two methods (rotary evaporation and freeze drying). Taking advantage of its viscosity, plasticity and transparency, dehydrated silica gel could be coated on the surface of ultraviolet (UV) light LEDs to make photoluminescence QD-LEDs. This new photoluminescence QD-LED, which is stable, environmentally non-toxic, easy to operate and low cost, could expand the applications of hydrophilic CdTe QDs in photoluminescence. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A new kind of cancer cell separation method is demonstrated, using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and fluorescence dual-encoded magnetic nanoprobes. The designed nanoprobes can realize SERS-fluorescence joint spectral encoding (SFJSE) and greatly improve the multiplexing ability. The nanoprobes have four main components, that is, the magnetic core, SERS generator, fluorescent agent, and targeting antibody. These components are assembled with a multi-layered structure to form the nanoprobes. Specifically, silica-coated magnetic nanobeads (MBs) are used as the inner core. Au core-Ag shell nanorods (Au@Ag NRs) are employed as the SERS generators and attached on the silica-coated MBs. After burying these Au@Ag NRs with another silica layer, CdTe quantum dots (QDs), that is, the fluorescent agent, are anchored onto the silica layer. Finally, antibodies are covalently linked to CdTe QDs. SFJSE is fulfilled by using different Raman molecules and QDs with different emission wavelengths. By utilizing four human cancer cell lines and one normal cell line as the model cells, the nanoprobes can specifically and simultaneously separate target cancer cells from the normal ones. This SFJSE-based method greatly facilitates the multiplex, rapid, and accurate cancer cell separation, and has a prosperous potential in high-throughput analysis and cancer diagnosis.

As one of the most popular nanocrystals (NCs), aqueous CdTe NCs have very weak green emission under conventional synthesis conditions. In this work, we report the first example of blue-emitting CdTe NCs directly synthesized in aqueous solution by slowing down the growth rate after nucleation. The key for the synthesis is the optimization of NC growth conditions, namely pH range of 7.5 to 8.5, TGA/Cd ratio of 3.6, Cd/Te ratio of 10, and Te concentration of 2×10⁻⁵ mol/L, to get a slow growth rate after nucleation. The as-prepared blue-emitting CdTe NCs have small size (as small as 1.9 nm) and bright emission [with 4% photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) at 486 nm and 17% PLQY at 500 nm]. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the as-prepared CdTe show monodispersed NCs which exhibit cubic zinc blend structure. Moreover, time-resolved PL decay and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show the as-prepared NCs have better surface modification by ligand, which makes these luminescent small CdTe NCs have higher photoluminescence quantum yield, compared with NCs synthesized under conventional conditions.

Metal-enhanced fluorescence of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) is the current investigation focus. In this work, we directly observed metal-enhanced fluorescence of CdTe@PAA nanaospheres in aqueous solution. The enhanced magnitude of photoluminescence (PL) was closely related to solution pH values, and the maximal PL enhancement is about 9 times compared with the ones without Au NPs. Furthermore, based on the results of absorptions and fluorescence lifetimes of CdTe@PAA-Au mixed solution at different pH values, we studied the mechanisms and physics processes of pH-dependent enhanced PL induced by Au NPs. The pH-dependent PL of CdTe@PAA-Au mixed solutions are due to the constantly changing distances between Au NPs and CdTe@PAA nanaospheres with pH. In the CdTe@PAA-Au mixed solutions, CdTe@PAA nanospheres in close proximity to the Au NPs are exposed to the increased electric fields in between and around the NPs, effectively resulting in significant increases in their absorption cross section. This lends itself to a subsequent increase in the excitation and eventually in the fluorescence emission from the CdTe@PAA nanospheres.

Fluorescent Ag nanoclusters are of significant interest because they provide the bridge between atomic and nanoparticle behavior in noble metals. Herein, microwave irradiation was originally used for the synthesis of water-soluble fluorescent Ag nanoclusters. As-prepared Ag nanoclusters present red fluorescence emission around 608 nm and a characteristic absorption peak at about 508 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows an average size of 1.6 nm for Ag nanoclusters. The effect of solution pH on the synthesis process and optical properties of Ag nanoclusters was investigated. The pH-dependent present form and adsorption capacity of poly(methacrylic acid, sodium salt) (PMAA) ligands are believed to be the reason for the pH effect.

During traditional 2-propanol-based purification of aqueous nanocrystals (NCs), it is very difficult to recycle 2-propanol from the aqueous solution, which brings great consumption of 2-propanol during the purification process. A major contribution of this work is to provide a simple way to reduce the consumption via recycling of 2-propanol during the purification process. The recycled 2-propanol is available for precipitating NCs from aqueous solution in a new round of NC purification process. Due to the recycling of 2-propanol, the great consumption of 2-propanol can be avoided, which makes the purification process of aqueous NCs much greener and at a much lower cost.

A new and simple procedure to enhance the fluorescence of analytes on the surfaces of a solid substrate is demonstrated based on Ag@SiO₂ nanoparticles. Two kinds of silver–silica core–shell nanoparticles with shell thicknesses of around 3 and 15 nm have been prepared and used as enhancing agents, respectively. By simply pipetting drops of the enhancing agents onto substrate surfaces with Rose Bengal monolayers, an enhancement of about 27 times, compared with the control sample, is achieved by using the Ag@SiO₂ nanoparticles with shells of about 3 nm, whereas an enhancement of around 11.7 times is obtained when using those with thicker shells. The effects of shell thickness and surface density of the enhancing agents on the enhancement have been investigated experimentally. The results show that this method can be potentially helpful in fluorescence-based surface analysis.

Through integrative consideration of NICS, MO, MOC and NBO, we precisely investigated delocalization and bonding characters of C₆, C₆H₆, B₃N₃ and B₃N₃H₆ molecules. Firstly, we originally discovered and testified that C₆ cluster was sp² hybridization. Negative NICS values in 0 and 1 Å indicated that C₆ had δ and Π aromaticity. Secondly, B₃N₃ with sp² hybridization had obvious δ aromaticity. Finally, WBI values approved that there were delocalization in C₆, C₆H₆ and B₃N₃ molecules, but B₃N₃H₆ structure did not have delocalization with the WBI 1.0. Moreover, total WBI values of carbon, boron and nitrogen atoms were four, three and three, respectively. Namely, the electrons of B₃N₃H₆ and B₃N₃ were localized in nitrogen atoms and they did not form delocalized bonding. In a word, bonding characters of carbon, boron and nitrogen atoms were dissimilar although the molecules composed of carbon, boron and nitrogen were regarded as isoelectronic structures.

Metal-enhanced fluorescence of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) is investigated. There is very little attention paid to the metal-enhanced fluorescence in aqueous solution, which has great potential applications in bioscience. In this work, we directly observe metal-enhanced fluorescence of CdTe NC solution by simply mixing CdTe NCs and Au nanoparticles, both of which are negatively charged. In order to study this kind of photoluminescence enhancement in aqueous solutions, we propose a calibration method, which takes into account the light attenuation in solutions. After consideration of the light weakening in transmission, the maximal PL enhancement is about 3 times as large as the ones without Au NPs. Some factors related to the enhanced magnitude of fluorescence, for instance, the concentration and the molar feed ratio of CdTe NCs and Au NPs, are studied in detail. Furthermore, the decreased lifetimes of CdTe NCs induced by Au NPs are also obtained, which are in accord with the enhancement of the photoluminescence.