Controllable preparation of solid-state fluorescent polymer dots by gaseous detonation

Abstract

Polymer dots (PDs) have attracted significant research interest owing to their remarkable optical properties. However, high-performance PDs often suffer from severe aggregation-induced fluorescence quenching in the solid state, limiting their practical applications. The gaseous detonation method offers a promising approach for synthesizing PDs while overcoming this limitation. Despite its potential, the relationship between detonation reaction conditions and the morphology and optical properties of PDs remains largely unexplored. This study systematically investigates the effects of varying the total precursor mass (citric acid (CA) and urea), the molar ratio of H₂ to O₂, and the mass ratio of CA to urea on the morphology and optical properties of PDs. The results indicate that the initial reaction conditions, including the total mass of precursors, the molar ratio of H₂ to O₂, and the mass ratio of CA to urea, affect the microstructure (average particle size, crystallinity) and photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of the prepared PDs. However, it was found that these conditions have almost no effect on the ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectra, photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra, and the types of surface groups of the products. This study provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing the preparation of PDs using the gaseous detonation method.