Unusual fluorescent properties of stilbene units and cdzns/zns quantum dots nanocomposites: white-light emission in solution versus light-harvesting in films
Author(s)
Date
2016Source Title
Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics
Print ISSN
1022-1352
Publisher
Wiley - V C H Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA
Volume
217
Issue
1
Pages
24 - 31
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
232
views
views
253
downloads
downloads
Abstract
Nanocomposites with organic–inorganic properties represent a new fi eld of basic research and offer
prospects for many novel applications in extremely diverse fi elds, due to their remarkable emerging new
properties and multifunctional nature. However, controllable manipulation of their fl uorescent properties in different phases is still challenging, which seriously limits the related applications of nanocomposites. In this work, a convenient protocol to fabricate organic–inorganic nanocomposites composed of
stilbene chromophores and CdZnS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) pairs, with controllable fl uorescent properties is presented. It is found that stable white-light emission can be achieved only in solution phase, with
negligible energy transfer or reabsorption between chromophores and QDs pairs. By contrast, when the
nanocomposites are deposited as blended fi lms, they cannot give
rise to white-light emission, no matter what donor/acceptor volume
ratios are used. However, the blended fi lms can exhibit near-unity
effi ciency (94%) of Förster resonance energy transfer from QDs to
chromophores. The underlying physical mechanisms are revealed
through comprehensive steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic
analysis. This work suggests that the CdZnS/ZnS QDs/stilbene nanocomposites can be directly used for fl uorescence sensors and probes
in biological system as well as fundamental investigation of lightharvesting, and also sheds light on developing other new materials
for artifi cial photosynthesis and optoelectronics.