Electrochemical methods--important means for fabrication of fluorescent nanoparticles

Fluorescent nanoparticles have attracted much attention over the last two decades. Due to the size- and composition-dependent optical and electrical properties, fluorescent nanoparticles have been emphasized in electronic, optical and biomedical applications. Till now, many kinds of methods have been developed to fabricate diverse fluorescent nanoparticles, which include pyrolysis, template synthesis, hydrothermal synthesis, microemulsion, electrochemical methods and so on. Among them, electrochemical methods are favored for relatively good controllability, ease of operation and mild reaction conditions. By adjusting the applied potential, current, components of the electrolyte and other relevant parameters, the fluorescent nanoparticles could be electrochemically manufactured with tunable sizes, compositions and surface structure, which allows for the modification of electronic and optical properties. Therefore, electrochemical methods are regarded as important means in preparing fluorescent nanoparticles. This review focuses on the recent progress in electrochemical fabrications of fluorescent nanoparticles (together with their optical properties and some applications in optoelectronics and biomedicine).