Alternative Incorporation Procedure of Quantum Dots in Polymer Microspheres

Quantum dot doped microspheres possess a broad range of possible applications from photonics to biolabeling. These doped microspheres can be prepared by many different approaches. Here we will focus on a strategy, where first prepared polymer microspheres are subsequently doped with semiconductor nanoparticles. The described procedure enables us to gain directly aqueous suspensions of quantum dot doped polymer microspheres which can be used to prepare high quality artificial opals by self-assembly procedures. The properties of these quantum dot doped polymer microspheres and the artificial opals made thereof will be discussed.