Ultraviolet-blue photoluminescence of ZnSe quantum dots

Zinc blende, sphericity, monodisperse, high luminescence ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized by a one-step mild hydrothermal route with Zn and Se dissolved in aqueous NaOH as the source material. The structure and the morphology of the sample were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicated that the products were cubic blende ZnSe ranging from 3.2 to 4.5 nm in size. TEM images showed that the QDs have very good dispersibility and distribution. The characteristic features of the absorption and photoluminescence spectra of ZnSe quantum dots were studied at room temperature. Compared with the bulk ZnSe, the absorption edges and luminescent peaks of ZnSe QDs were blue shifted to higher energies due to the quantum confinement effect. Photoluminescence at ultraviolet excitation showed the strong emission at 390 nm related to the higher excitonic states. ZnSe QDs exhibiting photoluminescence line widths as narrow as 40-60 nm. Meanwhile, we simply explored the theoretical mechanism of luminescence in ZnSe QDs and analogized the relation of various point defect concentrations of ZnSe.