Irradiation route to aqueous synthesis of highly luminescent ZnSe quantum dots and its function as a copper ion fluorescence sensor

• Radiation chemical technique can provide a useful route for synthesis of ZnSe QDs.
• Chelating nature of ethylene diamine is exploited for capping nanoparticles.
• ZnSe QDs can be a suitable sensitive alternative to toxic cadmium-based system.
• Cu(II) ion is probed by QDs in the presence of other physiologically relevant ions.

Size-controlled synthesis of stable ZnSe QDs with narrow distribution in aqueous environment through conventional soft chemical method still poses a challenge. The proposed radiation assisted strategy demonstrates aqueous synthesis of stable, monodisperse and luminescent ZnSe QDs capped with chelating ethylene diamine under ambient conditions and at room temperature. Radiation chemical method facilitates in slow and in-situ release of selenium ion from sodium selenosulfate. The concentrations of precursors, such as zinc salt, selenium source, ethylene diamine and absorbed radiation (7–90 kGy) dose were optimized for obtaining good quality particles. Selective quenching of luminescence of as-synthesized quantum dots (QDs) by Cu2+ ions vis-à-vis other physiologically important cations provide evidence for use of ZnSe quantum dots as alternative to toxic Cd-based quantum dots to probe Cu2+ ions. The linear relation of ratio of loss in emission intensity as a function of concentration of Cu(II) indicates detection limit in nano-molar range.

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