In situ synthesis of CdSe, CdSe/CdS, and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in cotton textiles

Owing to their tunable emission wavelengths and high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs), semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are being widely investigated for optoelectronic and biomedical applications, including display phosphors and fluorescent biomarkers.Recently, QD-incorporated composite textiles have attracted considerable attention as smart textiles with functions such as photoluminescence, ultraviolet protection, antibacterial activity, and sensing.In this study, we propose a novel hybridization method based on the in situ synthesis of QDs directly within textiles, unlike conventional approaches in which pre-synthesized QDs are coated onto textile surfaces.CdSe QDs were directly formed in cotton textiles by sequentially immersing the textiles in Se and Cd precursor solutions.The emission peak wavelength was controlled by varying the CdSe synthesis temperature.Furthermore, CdSe/CdS and CdSe/ZnS core-shell QDs were synthesized in situ to improve surface passivation.In particular, the formation of the ZnS shell markedly improved the PLQY from 5.8% for CdSe QDs before ZnS shell formation to 33.0% for CdSe/ZnS QDs.