Highly luminescent hybrid SiO2‐coated CdTe quantum dots: synthesis and properties

Novel hybrid SiO₂‐coated CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were created using CdTe QDs coated with a hybrid SiO₂ shell containing Cd²⁺ ions and a sulfur source via a sol–gel process in aqueous solution. Aqueous CdTe QDs with tunable emitting color created through a reaction between cadmium chloride and sodium hydrogen telluride was used as cores for the preparation of hybrid SiO₂‐coated CdTe QDs. In our experiments we found that the surface state of the cores and preparation conditions that affect the formation of the hybrid SiO₂ shell also greatly affect photoluminescence of the hybrid SiO₂‐coated CdTe QDs. The generation of CdS‐like clusters in the vicinity of the CdTe QDs, caused the quantum size effect of the QDs to be greatly reduced, which changes photoluminescence properties of the hybrid QDs fundamentally. Namely, the novel hybrid SiO₂ shell played an important role in generating a series of specific optical properties. In addition, the novel hybrid SiO₂ shell can be created if no CdTe QD is added. In order to gain an insight into the inter structure of the hybrid shell, we characterized the hybrid SiO₂‐coated CdTe QDs using X‐ray diffraction analysis and discuss the formation mechanism of such a hybrid structure. This work is significant because the novel hybrid SiO₂‐coated CdTe QDs with its excellent properties can be used in many applications, such as biolabeling and optoelectronic devices. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.