Phys.org November 26, 2024
Supraparticles comprising semiconductor colloidal quantum dots as building blocks are a new class of microscopic lasers with a wide host of applications. 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. Researchers in the UK demonstrated a novel method for the recycling of whispering-gallery-mode supraparticle lasers with a quantum dot recovery yield of 85%. The photoluminescence quantum yield of the recycled quantum dots was retained at 83 ± 16% from the initial batch of 86 ± 9%. The recycled quantum dots were 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. According to the researchers their work 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 technology… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
The unified process of SP fabrication and recycling… Credit: Optical Materials Express Vol. 14, Issue 12, pp. 2982-2994 (2024)