Non-injection one-pot preparation strategy for multiple families of magic-sized CdTe quantum dots with bright bandgap photoemission

CdTe Magic-Sized Quantum Dots (MSQDs) with absorption peaks at 427 and 500 nm were synthesized by a non-injection one-pot approach which features high synthetic reproducibility with potential for industrialscale production. Relatively pure forms of two families of CdTe MSQDs with bright band gap photoemission were synthesized without prefabricating a trioctylphosphine–tellurium (TOP–Te) precursor which was previously thought to be necessary when TOP was employed as the reaction media for synthesizing CdTe MSQDs. A transformation between the two families of CdTe MSQDs was observed by tuning the synthetic parameters, such as the concentration of TOP, the reaction temperature and reaction time. New thermodynamic equations were proposed to explain the formation and dissolution mechanism of the CdTe MSQDs.

Graphical abstractThe two families of CdTe MSQDs were sequential growth with evolution of the temperatures.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights• CdTe magic-sized quantum dots with absorption peaks at 427 and 500 nm were synthesized. • CdTe magic-sized quantum dots were synthesized without prefabricating a TOP–Te precursor. • The quantized growth mechanism of CdTe magic-sized quantum dots was explained.