Dual-emission of silicon quantum dots modified by 9-ethylanthracene

Abstract

Silicon quantum dots (QDs) have attracted much interest in recent years for their prospects in biology and opto-electronics; also, anthracene is a star material for being the first organic molecule to be used in an electroluminescence (EL) device. In this paper, we report dual-emissive Si QDs, with the QD surface modified by 9-ethylanthracene. This hybrid nanomaterial dispersed well in nonpolar solvents such as mesitylene, exhibiting a dual-emission spectrum with peaks centered at 431 and 824 nm, corresponding to the ligand and Si QD related fluorescence, respectively. This is a general strategy for preparing dual-emission Si QDs with wavelengths tunable either by the size of the Si nanocrystals or by the molecules. This dual-emissive hybrid nanomaterial exhibits possible application potential as an active material for visible to near infrared light emitting devices or bio-imaging.