In-situ synthesis of luminescent CdS quantum dots embedded in phosphate glass

CdS quantum dots (QDs) are a promising nanomaterial for optical and emitter devices. The main difficulty is controlling the QDs growth due to their instability and tendency to agglomerate. Phosphate glasses are an interesting host for QDs owing to their intrinsic characteristics. In this sense, we report an in-situ synthesis of luminescent CdS QDs into a phosphate glass and their growth upon heat treatments (HT) above Tg for different times. Quasi-spherical QDs were obtained with the average size of 8.1 nm and an intense emission at 550 nm under excitation at 340 nm. A significant emission intensity decreases and about 10 nm Stokes shift was observed after HT. Hence, this study describes a facile synthesis of luminescent CdS QDs in a novel and stable glass system, which makes it a promising material for photonic applications with possibility to adjust the emitted light wavelength.