Quantum dots (QDs) are inorganic semiconductor nanomaterials gaining extensive applications in electronic and biomedical industries. Almost all undergraduate courses in inorganic or materials chemistry currently include discussions on QDs. However, there are not many suitable undergraduate chemistry laboratory experiments available in literature that cover simple syntheses of QDs involving non-toxic precursors. We found very few published articles designed for teaching laboratory experiments on the synthesis of QDs, and all of them included highly toxic cadmium compounds as starting materials. On the contrary, pure zinc sulfide QDs have emerged as an efficient nanomaterial finding applications in photocatalysis, luminescent probes and solar cells. Moreover, they can be prepared using sustainable laboratory experiments without involving any toxic precursors. In our research project, we are developing a novel synthetic technique to synthesize ZnS QDs, which is useful for teaching laboratory courses in the undergraduate level. The poster will include the synthetic methodology and characterization techniques, e.g., UV-Vis spectroscopy and fluorescence, that are readily available in most teaching laboratories. A simple time dependent correlation between the particle size and emission properties will also be demonstrated.

Synthesis of ZnS quantum dots as an environmentally benign undergraduate laboratory experiment

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ACS Fall 2022

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