Quantum dot (QD) nanoclusters were formed using oppositely charged colloidal CdTe QDs, of two different sizes, mixed in aqueous solutions. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra and time-resolved PL decays show signatures of Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET) from the donor QDs to the acceptor QD in the nanoclusters. A concentration dependence of the donor QD lifetime is observed in mixed solutions with a donor: acceptor ratio greater than 1:1. The concentration dependent time-resolved PL data indicate different regimes of cluster formation, with evidence for donor-to-donor FRET in the larger donor-acceptor nanoclusters and evidence for the formation of all-donor clusters in mixed solutions with high donor concentrations.

© 2010 OSA

1. I. L. Medintz, A. R. Clapp, H. Mattoussi, E. R. Goldman, B. Fisher, and J. M. Mauro, “Self-assembled nanoscale biosensors based on quantum dot FRET donors,” Nat. Mater. 2(9), 630–638 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. T. Franzl, T. A. Klar, S. Schietinger, A. L. Rogach, and J. Feldmann, “Exciton recycling in graded gap nanocrystal structures,” Nano Lett. 4(9), 1599–1603 (2004). [CrossRef]
3. T. Förster, “Zwischenmolekulare Energiewanderung und Fluoreszenz,” Annalen der Physik 437(2), 55–75 (1948). [CrossRef]
4. A. R. Clapp, I. L. Medintz, and H. Mattoussi, “Förster resonance energy transfer investigations using quantum-dot fluorophores,” ChemPhysChem 7(1), 47–57 (2006). [CrossRef]
5. E. Alphandery, L. M. Walsh, Y. Rakovich, A. L. Bradley, J. F. Donegan, and N. Gaponik, “Highly efficient Förster resonance energy transfer between CdTe nanocrystals and Rhodamine B in mixed solid films,” Chem. Phys. Lett. 388(1-3), 100–104 (2004). [CrossRef]
6. M. Lunz, A. L. Bradley, W.-Y. Chen, and Y. K. Gunʼko, “Two-Dimensional Förster Resonant Energy Transfer in a Mixed Quantum Dot Monolayer: Experiment and Theory,” J. Phys. Chem. C 113(8), 3084–3088 (2009). [CrossRef]
7. D. M. Willard, T. Mutschler, M. Yu, J. Jung, and A. Van Orden, “Directing energy flow through quantum dots: towards nanoscale sensing,” Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 384(3), 564–571 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. I. L. Medintz, A. R. Clapp, J. S. Melinger, J. R. Deschamps, and H. Mattoussi, “A reagentless biosensing assembly based on quantum dot-donor Förster resonance energy transfer,” Adv. Mater. (Deerfield Beach Fla.) 17(20), 2450–2455 (2005). [CrossRef]
9. P. T. Snee, R. C. Somers, G. Nair, J. P. Zimmer, M. G. Bawendi, and D. G. Nocera, “A ratiometric CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal pH sensor,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128(41), 13320–13321 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. T. Pons, I. L. Medintz, M. Sykora, and H. Mattoussi, “Spectrally resolved energy transfer using quantum dot donors: Ensemble and single-molecule photoluminescence studies,” Phys. Rev. B 73(24), 245302 (2006). [CrossRef]
11. E. Mutlugun, O. Samarskaya, T. Ozel, N. Cicek, N. Gaponik, A. Eychmüller, and H. V. Demir, “Highly efficient nonradiative energy transfer mediated light harvesting in water using aqueous CdTe quantum dot antennas,” Opt. Express 18(10), 10720–10730 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. R. Wargnier, A. V. Baranov, V. G. Maslov, V. Stsiapura, M. Artemyev, M. Pluot, A. Sukhanova, and I. Nabiev, “Energy transfer in aqueous solutions of oppositely charged CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots and in quantum dot-nanogold assemblies,” Nano Lett. 4(3), 451–457 (2004). [CrossRef]
13. R. Osovsky, A. Shavel, N. Gaponik, L. Amirav, A. Eychmüller, H. Weller, and E. Lifshitz, “Electrostatic and covalent interactions in CdTe nanocrystalline assemblies,” J. Phys. Chem. B 109(43), 20244–20250 (2005). [CrossRef]
14. S. Mayilo, J. Hilhorst, A. S. Susha, C. Höhl, T. Franzl, T. A. Klar, A. L. Rogach, and J. Feldmann, “Energy transfer in solution-based clusters of CdTe nanocrystals electrostatically bound by calcium ions,” J. Phys. Chem. C 112(37), 14589–14594 (2008). [CrossRef]
15. Z. Tang, B. Ozturk, Y. Wang, and N. A. Kotov, “Simple Preparation Strategy and One-Dimensional Energy Transfer in CdTe Nanoparticle Chains,” J. Phys. Chem. B 108(22), 6927–6931 (2004). [CrossRef]
16. M. Lunz, A. L. Bradley, W. Chen, V. A. Gerard, S. J. Byrne, and Y. K. Gun’ko, “Influence of quantum dot concentration on Förster resonant energy transfer in monodispersed nanocrystal quantum dot monolayers,” Phys. Rev. B 81(20), 205316 (2010). [CrossRef]

Adv. Mater. (Deerfield Beach Fla.)

• I. L. Medintz, A. R. Clapp, J. S. Melinger, J. R. Deschamps, and H. Mattoussi, “A reagentless biosensing assembly based on quantum dot-donor Förster resonance energy transfer,” Adv. Mater. (Deerfield Beach Fla.) 17(20), 2450–2455 (2005). [CrossRef]

Anal. Bioanal. Chem.

• D. M. Willard, T. Mutschler, M. Yu, J. Jung, and A. Van Orden, “Directing energy flow through quantum dots: towards nanoscale sensing,” Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 384(3), 564–571 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Annalen der Physik

• T. Förster, “Zwischenmolekulare Energiewanderung und Fluoreszenz,” Annalen der Physik 437(2), 55–75 (1948). [CrossRef]

Chem. Phys. Lett.

• E. Alphandery, L. M. Walsh, Y. Rakovich, A. L. Bradley, J. F. Donegan, and N. Gaponik, “Highly efficient Förster resonance energy transfer between CdTe nanocrystals and Rhodamine B in mixed solid films,” Chem. Phys. Lett. 388(1-3), 100–104 (2004). [CrossRef]

ChemPhysChem

• A. R. Clapp, I. L. Medintz, and H. Mattoussi, “Förster resonance energy transfer investigations using quantum-dot fluorophores,” ChemPhysChem 7(1), 47–57 (2006). [CrossRef]

J. Am. Chem. Soc.

• P. T. Snee, R. C. Somers, G. Nair, J. P. Zimmer, M. G. Bawendi, and D. G. Nocera, “A ratiometric CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal pH sensor,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128(41), 13320–13321 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Phys. Chem. B

• R. Osovsky, A. Shavel, N. Gaponik, L. Amirav, A. Eychmüller, H. Weller, and E. Lifshitz, “Electrostatic and covalent interactions in CdTe nanocrystalline assemblies,” J. Phys. Chem. B 109(43), 20244–20250 (2005). [CrossRef]
• Z. Tang, B. Ozturk, Y. Wang, and N. A. Kotov, “Simple Preparation Strategy and One-Dimensional Energy Transfer in CdTe Nanoparticle Chains,” J. Phys. Chem. B 108(22), 6927–6931 (2004). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. Chem. C

• S. Mayilo, J. Hilhorst, A. S. Susha, C. Höhl, T. Franzl, T. A. Klar, A. L. Rogach, and J. Feldmann, “Energy transfer in solution-based clusters of CdTe nanocrystals electrostatically bound by calcium ions,” J. Phys. Chem. C 112(37), 14589–14594 (2008). [CrossRef]
• M. Lunz, A. L. Bradley, W.-Y. Chen, and Y. K. Gunʼko, “Two-Dimensional Förster Resonant Energy Transfer in a Mixed Quantum Dot Monolayer: Experiment and Theory,” J. Phys. Chem. C 113(8), 3084–3088 (2009). [CrossRef]

Nano Lett.

• T. Franzl, T. A. Klar, S. Schietinger, A. L. Rogach, and J. Feldmann, “Exciton recycling in graded gap nanocrystal structures,” Nano Lett. 4(9), 1599–1603 (2004). [CrossRef]
• R. Wargnier, A. V. Baranov, V. G. Maslov, V. Stsiapura, M. Artemyev, M. Pluot, A. Sukhanova, and I. Nabiev, “Energy transfer in aqueous solutions of oppositely charged CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots and in quantum dot-nanogold assemblies,” Nano Lett. 4(3), 451–457 (2004). [CrossRef]

Nat. Mater.

• I. L. Medintz, A. R. Clapp, H. Mattoussi, E. R. Goldman, B. Fisher, and J. M. Mauro, “Self-assembled nanoscale biosensors based on quantum dot FRET donors,” Nat. Mater. 2(9), 630–638 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• E. Mutlugun, O. Samarskaya, T. Ozel, N. Cicek, N. Gaponik, A. Eychmüller, and H. V. Demir, “Highly efficient nonradiative energy transfer mediated light harvesting in water using aqueous CdTe quantum dot antennas,” Opt. Express 18(10), 10720–10730 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

• M. Lunz, A. L. Bradley, W. Chen, V. A. Gerard, S. J. Byrne, and Y. K. Gun’ko, “Influence of quantum dot concentration on Förster resonant energy transfer in monodispersed nanocrystal quantum dot monolayers,” Phys. Rev. B 81(20), 205316 (2010). [CrossRef]
• T. Pons, I. L. Medintz, M. Sykora, and H. Mattoussi, “Spectrally resolved energy transfer using quantum dot donors: Ensemble and single-molecule photoluminescence studies,” Phys. Rev. B 73(24), 245302 (2006). [CrossRef]

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Related Journal Articles

• Reflectance of Pigmented Polymer Coatings: Comparisons Between Measurements and Radiative Transfer Calculations (AO)
• Growth and optical characteristics of ZnCdSe/ZnSe QWs on Si substrate with ZnO buffer (COL)
• Conservation of electromagnetic momentum and radiation forces exerted on left-handed material interfaces (OL)
• White light emissions through down-conversion of rare-earth doped LaF₃ nanoparticles (OE)
• Largely extended light-emission shift of ZnSe nanostructures with temperature (AO)

Related Conference Papers

• Resonant Energy Transfer Due to Exciton-Exciton Interaction in the Strong Coupling Regime in Hybrid InGaN Quantum Wells
• Bright Photoluminescence from Non-Tapered InN Nanowires Grown on Si by Molecular Beam Epitaxy
• Bright Photoluminescence from Non-Tapered InN Nanowires Grown on Si by Molecular Beam Epitaxy
• Room-temperature, high-efficiency conversion of Mott-Wannier to Frenkel excitons in hybrid semiconductor quantum dot/polymer composites
• Excitonic energy transfer dynamics in hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites at high loading levels