Self-assembled quantum dots–polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanohybrids with enhanced photoluminescence

We propose and demonstrate a novel family of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-modified quantum dots (QDs) with remarkably enhanced photoluminescence, which breaks the convention that the optical properties of semiconductor nanocrystals often decrease after surface modification. The result suggests that molecules with cubic nanostructure can enhance the fluorescence intensity of QDs, and the resultant hybrid material could be a very promising candidate for various applications, including optoelectronic devices and biological fluorescence labeling and imaging.