Synthesis of highly photostable NIR-emitting quantum dots CdTeSe/CdS/CdZnS/ZnS

Abstract

The use of near IR (NIR) fluorescent labels is promising in such areas as molecular biology, diagnostics and imaging, because this spectrum region is absorbed minimally by tissues and is significantly shifted from the autofluorescence spectra of biological materials. The development of NIR LED sources is of interest as well. One of the key limitations of most NIR fluorophores is lack of stability to environmental conditions, in particular their low photostability. In this paper we propose a method of synthesis of luminescent core/shell cadmium telluride-selenide nanoparticles with quantum yield of 80% and increased resistance to photodegradation.