CdS nanocomposites assembled in porous phosphate heterostructures for fingerprint detection

A fluorescent hybrid cadmium sulfide quantum dots (QDs) nanocomposites assembled in a porous phosphate heterostructures (PPH) functionalized with mercaptopropyl (PPH-SH) and propionitrile (PPH-CN) where synthesised in water and show high stability. Both materials, show fluorescence in the 450–700 nm wavelength range but the PPH-SH-CdS is about five times more fluorescent than PPH-CN-CdS. The maximum emission wavelengths of the resulting materials are 576 nm (PPH-SH-CdS) and 616 nm (PPH-CN-CdS) and show Stokes shifts higher than 300 nm. The nanocomposites were characterized by TEM, EDS, FT-IR, XRD and fluorescence. These materials are suitable for fingerprint analysis.

Research highlights
► Cadmium sulfide quantum dots assembled in a porous phosphate heterostructures.
► Phosphate heterostructures functionalized with mercaptopropyl and propionitrile.
► Fluorescent materials suitable for fingerprint analysis.