Recycling self-assembled colloidal quantum dot supraparticle lasers

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Abstract

Supraparticles comprising semiconductor colloidal quantum dots as building blocks are a new class of microscopic lasers with a wide host of applications, including photocatalysis, biological and environmental sensing, integrated photonics, and medicine. Despite the recent advances in their fabrication, there have been no reports of their quantum dot components being recovered for use in a circular economy. Herein, we demonstrate a novel method for the recycling of these whispering-gallery-mode supraparticle lasers with a quantum dot recovery yield of 85%. The photoluminescence quantum yield of the recycled quantum dots is retained at 83 ± 16% from the initial batch of 86 ± 9%. These recycled quantum dots are then used again to synthesize distinct supraparticles via an oil-in-water emulsion self-assembly technique, allowing for the recreation of lasing supraparticles with similar thresholds to their freshly made precursors at 32.8 ± 8.2 mJ·cm-2 and 34.8 ± 8.6 mJ·cm-2, respectively. This proof-of-concept for recyclability has the potential to complement and enhance the manufacturing of supraparticle lasers, as well as to contribute to the overall recycling efforts of a broad spectrum of colloidal nanoparticle species, aiming to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the technology.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2982-2994
Number of pages13
JournalOptical Materials Express
Volume14
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 25 Nov 2024

Funding

This research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust under the Research Leadership Award RL-2019-038.

Keywords

  • colloidal quantum dots
  • supraparticles
  • lasers
  • recycling
  • microresonators
  • fluorescence
  • whispering-gallery-mode
  • microspheres
  • sustainability
  • nanocrystals
  • nanoparticles

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