Preparation of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate)/Silica Hybrid Film with Dispersed ZnO Quantum Dots

Abstract

Quantum dots have recently been adopted in display devices for color compensation with light emitting diodes (LEDs). One of the major limitations in using QDs is the thermal instability of photoluminescence (PL) owing to the heat dissipation of LEDs. In this study, transparent hybrid films of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) dispersed in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with silica were prepared, and the thermal stability of the fluorescence of the films was investigated. ZnO QDs were synthesized by a thermal decomposition process and exhibited a PL emission peak at 475 nm with excitation at 320 nm. The ZnO QDs were spherical in shape with an average diameter of 3 nm. The PL intensity of the ZnO QD-PMMA films decreased with an increase in temperature. With increased silica content in the ZnO QD-PMMA/silica films, the PL quenching was reduced.