The effect of core size on the fluorescence emission properties of CdTe@CdS core@shell quantum dots

In this work, the effect of core size on the fluorescence emission properties of CdTe@CdS core@shell quantum dots was investigated under the condition of different shell thickness and pH values. Both CdTe and CdTe@CdS core@shell QDs were synthesized in aqueous phase by a simple method, whose optical features were characterized by absorption and fluorescence spectra. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were utilized to study the structure and composition of the as-prepared QDs. We can conclude that a smaller initial core exhibits a greater potential for optimizing both fluorescence intensity enhancement and red shift. What's more, there is an optimal shell thickness for the strongest fluorescence intensity while a thicker shell contributes to a larger fluorescence red shift. The optimal pH value is 10.5 for the fluorescence intensity enhancement of the core@shell QDs and a higher pH value is an advantage to expedite the growth rate of CdS shell.