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Synthesis of pH Sensitive Dual Capped CdTe QDs: Their Optical Properties and Structural Morphology

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Abstract

We herein report five different types of thiol dual capped cadmium tellurite quantum dots (CdTe QDs) namely glutathione-mercapto-propanoic acid (QD 1), glutathione-thiolglycolic acid (QD 2), L-cysteine-mercapto-propanoic acid (QD 3), L-cysteine- thiol-glycolic acid (QD 4) and mercapto-propanoic acid-thiol-glycolic (QD 5). Dual-capped CdTe QDs were prepared using a one pot synthetic method. Cadmium acetate and sodium tellurite were respectively used as cadmium and tellurium precursors. Photo-physical properties of the synthesized QDs were examined using UV-Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy while structural characterization was performed by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The influence of pH on QD characteristics (fluorescence intensity) was studied using phosphate and citrate buffers and continuous titration with HCl (0.1 N). UV-vis and photoluminescence spectra exhibited sharp absorption band edge with high intensities and improved colloidal stability. All the QDs were found to be in nano-size rang. TEM analysis revealed the presence of spherical nanoparticles while FTIR evidenced successful dual-capping of QDs. Upon pH changes, QDs 3 and 4 demonstrated more remarkable variations in fluorescence intensity than QDs 1 and 2. The pH-sensitivity of these QDs represents a promising feature for further development of potential theranostic nano-devices.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Sandisa Imbewu Programme of Rhodes University. The assistance from the WSU Chemistry Department and the Directorate of research is gratefully acknowledged. We are also grateful for the opputunity given to us by the organizer of the conference tagged “Nano World Summit: Future and Current Perspective’’ to present part of this work during the conference proceedings which was held in philadelphia, USA, 6th – 7th of June 2018.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa

    Olamide Abiodun Daramola, Xavier Siwe Noundou, Christian Isalomboto Nkanga & Rui Werner Maçedo Krause

  2. University Institute of Wood Technology of Mbalmayo, University of Yaoundé 1, P.O. Box 306, Mbalmayo, Cameroon

    Xavier Siwe Noundou

  3. Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Science, Walter Sisulu University, Private Bag XI, Mthatha, 5117, South Africa

    Potlaki Foster Tseki

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  1. Olamide Abiodun Daramola
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  2. Xavier Siwe Noundou
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  4. Potlaki Foster Tseki
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  5. Rui Werner Maçedo Krause
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Correspondence to Xavier Siwe Noundou or Rui Werner Maçedo Krause.

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Daramola, O.A., Siwe Noundou, X., Nkanga, C.I. et al. Synthesis of pH Sensitive Dual Capped CdTe QDs: Their Optical Properties and Structural Morphology. J Fluoresc 30, 557–564 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-020-02526-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-020-02526-x

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