One-step and rapid synthesis of composition-tunable and water-soluble ZnCdS quantum dots

ZnCdS quantum dots have been successfully prepared at room temperature in aqueous solution with sodium hexametaphosphate as stabilizer and thioacetamide as the source of S. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra and UV-Vis absorption spectra of the ZnCdS quantum dots were determined on the basis of the initial Cd/Zn mole ratio (Cd/Zn = 8/0, 7/1, 6/2, 5/3, 4/4, 3/5, 2/6, 1/7 and 0/8) and the concentration of thioacetamide. The emission peaks first showed a red shift and then a blue shift with the increasing initial Zn concentration, which provided the evidence of formation of CdS/ZnCdS core/shell and ZnCdS alloyed quantum dots. The ZnCdS quantum dots were compared with CdS (ZnS) quantum dots doped with Zn2+ (Cd2+). The samples have also been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS).