Ultra-Stable and Highly Efficient White Light Emitting Diodes through CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals-Silica Composite Phosphor Functionalized with Surface Phenyl Molecules.

Poor stability of CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) to moisture/heat/light has significantly limited their application as a green phosphor, despite their outstanding luminescent properties. Here, a remarkably stable CsPbBr3 NCs-silica composite phosphor functionalized with surface phenyl molecules (CsPbBr3 -SiO2 Ph ) is synthesized by controlling low-temperature hydrolysis and condensation reaction of perhydropolysilazane in the presence of CsPbBr3 NCs followed by phenyl-functionalization. Through the process, CsPbBr3 NCs are confined in a compact silica matrix, which is impermeable to H2 O. The synthesis strategy is extended to a classical red quantum dot, CdZnSeS@ZnS NCs, to fabricate a white light emitting diode (WLED) consisting of CsPbBr3 -SiO2 Ph and CdZnSeS@ZnS-SiO2 Ph phosphor and silicone resin packaged on a commercial blue InGaN chip with luminous efficacy (LE) of 9.36 lm W-1 . The WLED undergoes enhancements in both green and red photoluminescence over time to achieve a highly efficient performance of 38.80 lm W-1 . More importantly, the WLED exhibits unprecedented operational stability of LE/LE0  = 94% after 101 h-operation at 20 mA (2.56 V). The ultra-high operational stability and efficient performance are mainly attributed to thermal curing and aging through which grain growth occurs as well as deactivation of defect states by permeated atmospheric O2 .

Bactericidal activity of immobilized silver nanoparticles on silica substrates with different sizes.

Hybrid particles with immobilized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) receive a lot of attention due to their excellent antibacterial activity with the prevention of inherent aggregation of AgNPs. In this study, serial sized silica substrate particles (231, 401, and 605 nm) and their corresponding hybrid particles with AgNPs (~ 30 nm) are prepared, with detailed bactericidal images of the corresponding particles at various times. Their bactericidal activity is elucidated for both Gram-positive Streptococcus agalactiae and Gram-negative Escherichia coli CN13, which show the size of 0.8 µm × 0.9 µm and 1.3 µm × 1.8 µm, respectively. There is a large difference in the bactericidal activity between the smallest (231 nm, 3-log10 reduction) and larger (401 and 605 nm, 6-log10 reduction) silica substrates, whereas there is hardly a difference between the latter. Their effective total surface area (ETSA) is considered important for their bactericidal activity, based on the nearly equal large ETSA of the well-dispersed two larger silica substrates and the much smaller ETSA of the agglomerated smallest substrates. Submicron-sized pits appear on the bacterial membrane by direct contact with the hybrid particles, implicating the importance of ETSA. Still, further research is needed with much different silica substrate sizes to fully elucidate the impact of the silica substrate on the bactericidal activity of immobilized AgNPs.

Inactivation of influenza A virus via exposure to silver nanoparticle-decorated silica hybrid composites.

Influenza A virus (IFV-A) is one of the main cause of seasonal flu and can infect various of host species via the reassortment of segmented RNA genomes. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been known as excellent antiviral agent against IFV. However, the use of free AgNPs has several major drawbacks, including the inherent aggregation among AgNPs and unwanted cytotoxic or genotoxic damages for human body via inhalation or ingestion. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of our novel ~ 30-nm-diameter AgNP-decorated silica hybrid composite (Ag30-SiO2; ~ 400 nm in diameter) for IFV-A inactivation. Ag30-SiO2 particles can inhibit IFV-A effectively in a clear dose-dependent manner. However, when real-time RT-PCR assay was used, merely 0.5-log10 reduction of IFV-A was observed at both 5 and 20 °C. Moreover, even after 1 h of exposure to Ag30-SiO2 particles, more than 80% of hemagglutinin (HA) damage and 20% of neuraminidase (NA) activities had occurred, and the infection of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells by IFV-A was reduced. The results suggested that the major antiviral mechanism of Ag30-SiO2 particles is the interaction with viral components located at the membrane. Therefore, Ag30-SiO2 particles can cause nonspecific damage to various IFV-A components and be used as an effective method for inactivating IFV-A.

Direct Hybridization of Hydrophobic Nanocrystals with Colloidal Silica via van der Waals Force.

We present a novel, direct approach to hybridize hydrophobic quantum dot (QD) nanocrystals with colloidal silica (A) via van der Waals (vdW) force only. The A is constructed by aggregation of 15-25 nm sized hydrophobic silica nanoparticles with octadecyl groups. For hybridization, the hydrophobic QDs sit on the crevices of A via reinforced vdW force by interdigitation of long-chained hydrocarbons along the enlarged contact area of the crevices. The hybrids (B) are easily encapsulated with silica with/without functional groups, yielding QD-layer-incorporated silica particles (C) with greatly enhanced PL (up to 690%) and astonishing photostability compared with their free QDs under an identical QD concentration. This approach is simple, novel, versatile, and extended to the cases of three different sized QDs. The hydrophobic product C with phenylethyl groups is applicable to fabricate a white LED, and its hydrophilic analogues can be a promising material for bioapplications.

Disinfection of waterborne viruses using silver nanoparticle-decorated silica hybrid composites in water environments.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been reported as an effective alternative for controlling a broad-spectrum of pathogenic viruses. We developed a micrometer-sized silica hybrid composite decorated with AgNPs (AgNP-SiO2) to prevent the inherent aggregation of AgNPs, and facilitated their recovery from environmental media after use. The production process had a high-yield, and fabrication was cost-effective. We evaluated the antiviral capabilities of Ag30-SiO2 particles against two model viruses, bacteriophage MS2 and murine norovirus (MNV), in four different types of water (deionized, tap, surface, and ground). MNV was more susceptible to Ag30-SiO2 particles in all four types of water compared to MS2. Furthermore, several water-related factors, including temperature and organic matter content, were shown to affect the antimicrobial capabilities of Ag30-SiO2 particles. The modified Hom model was the best-fit disinfection model for MNV disinfection in the different types of water. Additionally, this study demonstrated that the effects of a certain level of physical obstacles in water were negligible in regards to the use of Ag30-SiO2 particles. Thus, effective use of AgNPs in water disinfection processes can be achieved using our novel hybrid composites to inactivate various waterborne viruses.

Disinfection of various bacterial pathogens using novel silver nanoparticle-decorated magnetic hybrid colloids.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have long been considered a powerful disinfectant for controlling pathogenic microorganisms. However, AgNPs might have adverse effects on both human health and our ecosystems due to their potential cytotoxicity and the difficulty in recovering them after their release into the environment. In this study, we characterized the antimicrobial efficacy caused by a novel micrometer-sized magnetic hybrid colloid (MHC) containing 7, 15, or 30nm sized monodispersed AgNPs (AgNP-MHCs), which can be re-collected from the environment using simple procedures, such as a magnet or centrifugation. We evaluated the antibacterial capabilities of AgNP-MHCs against target bacteria (Legionella pneumophila, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium perfringens) and compared them with the inactivation efficacy of AgNPs ~30nm in diameter (nAg30s). Among the different AgNP-MHCs composites evaluated, Ag30-MHCs had the greatest antibacterial effect. After 1h of exposure, more than a 4-log10 reduction of L. pneumophila and 6-log10 reduction of B. subtilis was achieved by 4.6×109particles/mL of Ag30-MHCs and Ag30-MHC-Ls. In addition, Ag30-MHC-Ls maintained their strong antibacterial capabilities under anaerobic conditions. Our results indicate that AgNP-MHCs can be considered excellent tools for controlling waterborne bacterial pathogens, with a minimal risk of release into the environment.

Quantum dot-layer-encapsulated and phenyl-functionalized silica spheres for highly luminous, colour rendering, and stable white light-emitting diodes.

Although the quantum efficiencies of quantum dots (QDs) are approaching unity through advances in the synthesis of QD materials, their luminescence efficiencies after mixing with resin and thermal curing for white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are seriously lowered because of aggregation and oxidation of QDs and poor adhesion of QDs to the resin. To overcome these problems, QD-layer-encapsulated and phenyl-functionalized silica (SQS(Ph)) spheres were synthesized and applied for white LEDs, whereby the QDs were homogeneously distributed at radial equidistance from the center and near the surface of approximately 100 nm-sized silica spheres and the surface was functionalized with phenylethyl groups. The inter-core distances of QDs were over ∼14 nm, which is over the limit (<10 nm) for Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) that leads to photoluminescence (PL) reduction. This hierarchical nanostructure excludes a chance of FRET between QDs and provides the QDs a gradually refractive index matching environment, which yields ∼4-fold enhanced PL in SQS(Ph). More importantly, the SQS(Ph) acquired a highly adhesive property to silicone resin due to their phenyl functional group matching, which resulted in remarkably improved light extraction in white LEDs. When incorporated along with a yellow-emitting Y3Al5O12:Ce(3+) (YAG:Ce) phosphor and silicone resin on blue LED chips, the SQS(Ph) spheres presented significantly improved performance [luminous efficiency (LE) = 58.2 lm W(-1); colour rendering index Ra = 81.8; I/I0 = 0.98 after 60 h operation] than their original QDs (LE = 39.6 lm W(-1); Ra = 78.1; I/I0 = 0.91 after 60 h operation) under a forward bias current of 60 mA.

Highly sensitive immunoassay for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction using silica spheres encapsulating a quantum dot layer.

Commercial ELISA kits for substance P (SubP), which are helpful for the clinical diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, are limited in efficacy because of low sensitivity. A highly sensitive immunoassay was developed using silica spheres encapsulating a quantum dot-layer (SQS) and labeling antibodies, on a Parylene A-modified plate. The high sensitivity was possible by taking advantage of the enhanced photoluminescence of the SQS and dense immobilization of SubP on a Parylene A-modified plate. Glutaraldehyde was used for cross-linking of SQS to the anti-SubP antibody and SubP to the Parylene A coating. The SQS-linked immunosorbent assay (SQSLISA) was optimized and validated. The dynamic range for the assay was 1-10000 pg/mL with a linear correlation factor of 0.9992 when the competitive SQSLISA was employed. The intra- and interday accuracies were 93-100% and 87-122%, respectively. The reproducibility was lower than 11%. The developed method was applied to clinical samples collected from healthy controls (n = 30) and acute myocardial infarction (n = 16) and it displayed a high correlation with the commercial ELISA kit, with a limit of detection that was 30-fold lower. Clinical sample analysis confirmed that SubP is a promising diagnostic marker for acute myocardial infarction. The SQSLISA is expected to be a practical and useful assay tool.

Fabrication of an anti-viral air filter with SiO2-Ag nanoparticles and performance evaluation in a continuous airflow condition.

In this study, SiO2 nanoparticles surface coated with Ag nanoparticles (SA particles) were fabricated to coat a medium air filter. The pressure drop, filtration efficiency, and anti-viral ability of the filter were evaluated against aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 in a continuous air flow condition. A mathematical approach was developed to measure the anti-viral ability of the filter with various virus deposition times. Moreover, two quality factors based on the anti-viral ability of the filter, and a traditional quality factor based on filtration efficiency, were calculated. The filtration efficiency and pressure drop increased with decreasing media velocity and with increasing SA particle coating level. The anti-viral efficiency also increased with increasing SA particle coating level, and decreased by with increasing virus deposition time. Consequently, SA particle coating on a filter does not have significant effects on filtration quality, and there is an optimal coating level to produce the highest anti-viral quality.

Optically pumped distributed feedback dye lasing with slide-coated TiO2 inverse-opal slab as Bragg reflector.

We demonstrate an optical amplification of organic dye within a TiO2 inverse-opal (IO) distributed feedback (DFB) reflector prepared by a slide-coating method. Highly reflective TiO2 IO film was fabricated by slide coating the binary aqueous dispersions of polystyrene microspheres and charge-stabilized TiO2 nanoparticles on a glass slide and subsequently removing the polymer-opal template. TiO2 IO film was infiltrated, in turn, with the solutions of DCM, a fluorescent dye in various solvents with different indices of refraction. Optical pumping by frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser resulted in amplified spontaneous emission in each dye solution. In accordance with the semi-empirical simulation by the FDTD method, DCM in ethanol showed the best emission/stopband matching for the TiO2 IO film used in this study. Therefore, photo excitation of a DCM/ethanol cavity showed a single-mode DFB lasing at 640 nm wavelength at moderate pump energy.

Facile synthesis of intense green light emitting LiGdF4:Yb,Er-based upconversion bipyramidal nanocrystals and their polymer composites.

A pathway for achieving intense green light emitting LiGdF4:Yb,Er upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) via Y(3+) doping is demonstrated. It was revealed that Y(3+) doping initiated the formation of a tetragonal phase and affected the particle size. Single tetragonal-phase LiGd0.4Y0.4F4:Yb(18%),Er(2%) (LGY0.4F:Yb,Er) UCNPs exhibited strong upconversion (UC) green luminescence and tetragonal bipyramidal morphologies. They showed 1325 and 325-fold higher photoluminescence intensity than the 0 and 80 mol% Y(3+)-doped LiGdF4:Yb,Er UCNPs, respectively. Additionally the particle size (edge length) of LiGdF4:Yb,Er-based upconversion tetragonal bipyramids (UCTBs) was controlled from 60.5 nm to an ultrasmall size of 9.3 nm with varying Y(3+) doping concentration. In an LGY0.4F:Yb,Er UCTB, uniform distribution of all constituent elements was directly confirmed by using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) image analyses. In particular, existence of activator Er(3+) ions with extremely small quantity was clearly seen over a particle on the EFTEM image. Moreover, the LGY0.4F:Yb,Er UCTBs were successfully incorporated into the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer and the highly transparent UCTB-PDMS composites showed bright green light under the excitation of 980 nm infrared light.

Antiviral properties of silver nanoparticles on a magnetic hybrid colloid.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are considered to be a potentially useful tool for controlling various pathogens. However, there are concerns about the release of AgNPs into environmental media, as they may generate adverse human health and ecological effects. In this study, we developed and evaluated a novel micrometer-sized magnetic hybrid colloid (MHC) decorated with variously sized AgNPs (AgNP-MHCs). After being applied for disinfection, these particles can be easily recovered from environmental media using their magnetic properties and remain effective for inactivating viral pathogens. We evaluated the efficacy of AgNP-MHCs for inactivating bacteriophage ΦX174, murine norovirus (MNV), and adenovirus serotype 2 (AdV2). These target viruses were exposed to AgNP-MHCs for 1, 3, and 6 h at 25°C and then analyzed by plaque assay and real-time TaqMan PCR. The AgNP-MHCs were exposed to a wide range of pH levels and to tap and surface water to assess their antiviral effects under different environmental conditions. Among the three types of AgNP-MHCs tested, Ag30-MHCs displayed the highest efficacy for inactivating the viruses. The ΦX174 and MNV were reduced by more than 2 log10 after exposure to 4.6 × 10(9) Ag30-MHCs/ml for 1 h. These results indicated that the AgNP-MHCs could be used to inactivate viral pathogens with minimum chance of potential release into environment.

Highly photoluminescent superparamagnetic silica composites for on-site biosensors.

For the development of a quick and effective on-site sensor, a multifunctional composite with concentrating and sensing functions is greatly advantageous. The multifunctional composite with high magnetic susceptibility for concentration and enhanced fluorescence intensity for sensing is synthesized and applied for an on-site sensor. The multifunctional composite is prepared by incorporating a cluster of Fe3O4 nanocrystals at the centre and a QD-layer at radial equidistance near the surface of a silica microsphere (diameter ∼0.6 µm). The extinguished fluorescence of the composite, through hybridization with quenching DNAs via aptamers anchored on the composite, resumes instantaneously and quantitatively upon addition of target proteins by displacing the quenching DNAs. The configuration of thrombin binding aptamers and quenching DNAs on the composite is optimized to achieve a quenching efficiency of 94%. Upon simple injection of thrombin solution, binding of thrombin to its specific aptamer on the composite is detected at concentrations as low as 0.35 nM (10 ng mL-1) within 5 min. The current multifunctional composite system is expected to be a promising platform for on-site biosensors.

Prompt and synergistic antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticle-decorated silica hybrid particles on air filtration.

There is a significant need for materials that promptly exhibit antimicrobial activity upon contact. The large-scale fabrication of monodisperse silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-decorated silica (AgNP@SiO2) hybrid particles, and their prompt and synergistic antibacterial activity against both the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis on air filtration units are presented. Monodisperse aminopropyl-functionalized silica colloids (406 nm) were used as a support material and were hybridized with AgNPs using a seeding, sorting-out, and growing strategy with Ag seeds (1-2 nm) into ∼30 nm AgNPs, successfully yielding 51 g of AgNP@SiO2 hybrid particles. Medium filter samples (glass fiber material, 4 × 4 cm2) were coated with AgNP@SiO2 particles and tested for antibacterial efficacy. SEM characterization of the bacterial morphology suggested prompt and synergistic antibacterial activity against both classes of bacteria. Moreover, antibacterial efficacies >99.99% for both bacteria were obtained using a filter sample with a coating areal density of 1 × 108 particles per cm2. Solutions of AgNP@SiO2 at 1.3% were stable even after 8 months. The hybrid particle AgNP@SiO2 and the air filter system coated with the particles are expected to be useful for future green environment applications.

Highly bright multicolor tunable ultrasmall ß-Na(Y,Gd)F4:Ce,Tb,Eu/ß-NaYF4 core/shell nanocrystals.

Herein, we report highly bright multicolor-emitting ß-Na(Y,Gd)F4:Ce,Tb,Eu/ß-NaYF4 nanoparticles (NPs) with precise color tunability. First, highly bright sub-20 nm ß-Na(Y,Gd)F4:Ce,Tb,Eu NPs were synthesized via a heating-up method. By controlling the ratio of Eu(3+) to Tb(3+), we generated green, yellow-green, greenish yellow, yellow, orange, reddish orange, and red emissions from the NP solutions via energy transfer of Ce(3+)→ Gd(3+)→ Tb(3+) (green) and Ce(3+)→ Gd(3+)→ Tb(3+)→ Eu(3+) (red) ions under ultraviolet light illumination (254 nm). Because of Ce(3+) and Gd(3+) sensitization, Tb(3+) ions exhibited strong green emission. The decay time of Tb(3+) emission decreased from 4.0 to 1.4 ms as the Eu(3+) concentration was increased, suggesting that energy was transferred from Tb(3+) to Eu(3+). As a result, Eu(3+) emission peaks were generated and the emission color was transformed from green to red. Monodisperse sub-6 nm ß-Na(Y,Gd)F4:Ce,Tb,Eu NPs were synthesized through a simple reduction of the reaction temperature. Although fine color tunability was retained, their brightness was considerably decreased owing to an increase in the surface-to-volume ratio. The formation of a ß-NaYF4 shell on top of the sub-6 nm NP core to produce ß-Na(Y,Gd)F4:Ce,Tb,Eu/ß-NaYF4 significantly increased the emission intensity, while maintaining the sub-10 nm sizes (8.7-9.5 nm). Quantum yields of the ultrasmall NPs increased from 1.1-6.9% for the core NPs to 6.7-44.4% for the core/shell NPs. Moreover, highly transparent core/shell NP-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites featuring a variety of colors, excellent color tunability, and high brightness were also prepared.

Rational morphology control of ß-NaYF4:Yb,Er/Tm upconversion nanophosphors using a ligand, an additive, and lanthanide doping.

We report the systematic control of the morphology of ß-NaYF4:Yb,Er/Tm upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) from large spheres (37.9 nm) to rods (length = 60.1 nm, width = 21.5 nm) and from rods to hexagonal prisms (length = 48.8 nm, width = 44.0 nm) or small spheres (14.0 nm) by the use of a surfactant, an additive, and lanthanide doping. Increasing the ratio of oleic acid (OA) to 1-octadecene (ODE) caused a decrease in the size of the UCNPs, and increasing the OA/ODE ratio above a critical value caused the particle shape to change from a sphere to a rod. The length-to-width aspect ratio (AR) of upconversion nanorods (UCNRs) was finely manipulated from 1.28 to 2.80. The rounded tips of the UCNRs were flattened by adding Cl(-) ions, and the UCNRs changed to hexagonal prisms with a controllable AR depending on the quantity of Cl(-) ions. Additionally, the morphology of the ß-NaYF4-based UCNPs was controlled by lanthanide doping. The size and AR of the UCNRs decreased with Gd(3+) doping, and the UCNRs ultimately transformed into small spheres (14.0 nm) with high monodispersity. Doping with Ce(3+) ions also decreased the AR of the UCNRs from 2.80 to 1.27. In addition, highly transparent polymer composites for 3D volumetric displays were fabricated by blending high-AR ß-NaYF4:Yb,Er/Tm UCNRs with polydimethylsiloxane. These composites exhibited bright green and blue upconversion light during excitation with 980 nm light.

Core-shell bimetallic nanoparticles robustly fixed on the outermost surface of magnetic silica microspheres.

The major challenges in practically utilising the immense potential benefits of nanomaterials are controlling aggregation, recycling the nanomaterials, and fabricating well-defined nanoparticulate materials using innovative methods. We present a novel innovative synthetic strategy for core-shell bimetallic nanoparticles that are well-defined, ligand-free, and robustly fixed on the outermost surface of recyclable magnetic silica microspheres. The strategy includes seeding, coalescing the seeds to cores, and then growing shells from the cores on aminopropyl-functionalised silica microspheres so that the cores and aminopropyl moieties are robustly embedded in the shell materials. The representative Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles fixed on the microsphere showed excellent catalytic performance that remained consistent during repeated catalytic cycles.

Acute toxicity and tissue distribution of CdSe/CdS-MPA quantum dots after repeated intraperitoneal injection to mice.

Quantum dots (QDs) are novel tools with multiple biological and medical applications because of their superior photoemission and photostability characteristics. However, leaching of toxic metals from QDs is of great concern. Therefore, for the successful application of QDs in bioscience, it is essential to understand their biological fate and toxicity. We investigated toxicological effects and tissue distribution of mercaptopropionic acid-conjugated cadmium selenide/cadmium sulfide (CdSe/CdS-MPA) QDs after repeated intraperitoneal injection into BALB/c mice. The mice were injected every 3 days with various doses of QDs (0, 5, 10 and 25 mg kg(-1) ). The subsequent effects of QDs on plasma levels of various biomarkers were evaluated at different time points (at 0, 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 15 days). Various tissue samples (spleen, liver, lung, kidneys, brain, heart and thymus) were collected for toxicity analysis, distribution testing, histopathological examination and inflammation assessment. No abnormal clinical signs or behaviors were recorded but the body weight of mice treated with 25 mg kg(-1) QDs was significantly decreased from day 7 compared with control mice. QDs were observed in the liver, spleen, lung and kidneys, but not in brain or heart. Significantly higher levels of lactate dehydrogenase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase were found in the plasma, liver and spleen. Histopathological examination did not show any tissue toxicity but the levels of interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory marker, were increased in the plasma, liver and spleen. All of these findings provide insight into the observed toxicological effect levels and tissue-specific distribution of CdSe/CdS-MPA QDs.

Magnetic hybrid colloids decorated with Ag nanoparticles bite away bacteria and chemisorb viruses.

Magnetic hybrid colloids (MHCs) decorated with different-sized Ag nanoparticles (Ag07@MHC, Ag15@MHC, and Ag30@MHC denote MHCs decorated with ∼7 nm, ∼15 nm, and ∼30 nm AgNPs, respectively) are synthesized and used to investigate their antimicrobial efficacy and mechanism. An MHC (diameter ∼ 0.6 µm) is a cluster of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (∼10 nm) encapsulated with a silica shell (thickness ∼ 0.1 µm). The Ag30@MHC was prepared using the seed-growth method with Ag seeds self-assembled on the aminopropyl-functionalized MHC, and its surface is covered with AgNPs and Ag+ ions. The Ag07@MHC and Ag15@MHC were prepared using the seeding, coalescing, and growing strategy with Au seeds, and these MHCs released substantially less Ag+ ions than Ag30@MHC due to the contribution of the Au core. The Ag30@MHC exhibited the greatest antimicrobial efficacy towards E. coli CN13 (6-log reduction) and the bacteriophage MS2 (2-3 log reduction) due to the synergistic effect of the 3D architecture decorated with AgNPs and Ag+ ions as well as the already-known effects of free AgNPs. On the 3D architecture, the AgNPs abstract Mg2+ or Ca2+ ions from the bacterial membrane and the Ag+ ions grab the microorganisms by forming a complex with the thiol groups imbedded in the membrane, which bites away bacteria and completely ruptures the cell structure. The Ag30@MHC is easily collectible from the reaction mixture using an external magnet without detachment of AgNPs, and it is re-dispersible. Overall, Ag30@MHC is believed to be a promising antimicrobial material for practical applications.

Synthesis of blue emitting InP/ZnS quantum dots through control of competition between etching and growth.

Blue (<480 nm) emitting Cd-free quantum dots (QDs) are in great demand for various applications. However, their synthesis has been challenging. Here we present blue emitting InP/ZnS core/shell QDs with a band edge emission of 475 nm and a full width at half maximum of 39 nm (215 meV) from their quantum confined states. The drastic temperature drop immediately after mixing of the precursors and holding them at a temperature below 150 °C was the critical factor for the synthesis of blue emitting QDs, because the blue QDs are formed by the etching of ultra-small InP cores by residual acetic acid below 150 °C. Etching was dominant at temperatures below 150 °C, whereas growth was dominant at temperatures above 150 °C. ZnS shells were formed successfully at 150 °C, yielding blue emitting InP/ZnS QDs. The colour of the InP/ZnS QDs depicted on the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram is located close to the edge, indicating a pure blue colour compared to other InP-based QDs.