Synthesis of uniform sized ZnS quantum dots using hydrodynamic cavitation and their characterization

As representative non-toxic cadmium-free quantum dots (QDs), ZnS QDs with high quantum efficiency, super stability and excellent biocompatibility had attracted wide attention in the fields of photocatalysis, solar cells and biomedicine. In this study, hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) technology was applied to the preparation of ZnS QDs. By adjusting HC device parameters, water soluble ZnS QDs with small particle size, narrow particle size distribution range, high absorbance, high luminous efficiency and high quantum yield were prepared. The morphology, size distribution, element composition and optical properties of ZnS QDs were studied by various characterization methods. ZnS QDs with average particle size of 1.48 nm, fluorescence quantum yield of 34.07% and Stokes shift of 112 nm were obtained. In addition, the mechanism of preparation of ZnS QDs by using HC method was also studied. It is hoped that this HC technology can provide a new idea for large-scale preparation of ZnS QDs with excellent properties.