Interfacial fabrication of single-crystalline ZnTe nanorods with high blue fluorescence

From the perspective of practical application, the development of fluorescent nanocrystals with low toxicity and desirable optical properties is highly needed. Here we report a new liquid-liquid interfacial synthesis of single-crystalline ZnTe nanorods with high fluorescence. With the use of long-alkyl-chain fatty acid as the capping ligand, the reaction of zinc acrylate with NaHTe under a moderate temperature (~90 °C) at the toluene/water interface yielded high-quality ZnTe nanorods. The preparation parameters and the growth mechanism were thoroughly investigated. The as-prepared ZnTe nanorods exhibited stable blue fluorescence with quantum yield up to 60%. This bright and stable emission gives promise for the use of these relatively benign nanorods in various applications such as blue light-emitting diodes.