Hydrothermal Synthesis of PEG-capped ZnS:Mn2+ Quantum Dots Nanocomposites

Water-soluble Mn2+-doped ZnS nanocrystals surface capped with polyethylene glycol(expressed as PEG-ZnS:Mn2+) were synthesized in aqueous solution with PEG as surface modifier without ligand exchange. The particles were obtained via chemical precipitation method at 100 degrees C with an average diameter of 3 nm and a zinc blende structure. The PEG modified on the surface of PEG-ZnS:Mn2+ nanocrystals rendered the nanocrystals water soluble and biocompatible. And the PEG-ZnS:Mn2+ nanocrystals have the potential application in molecular assembly and biological fluorescence analysis. The effects of the Mn2+ concentration, stabilizer concentration, and synthesis time on the photoluminescence(PL) intensity of ZnS:Mn2+ QDs were also investigated.