Effects of K+ and Na+ ions on the fluorescence of colloidal CdSe/CdS and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

In this work we studied the effects of K+ and Na+ ions on fluorescence properties of the colloidal quantum dots (QDs). It was found that the fluorescence intensity was enhanced when low concentration of ions was introduced to QD solutions, while it became weakened when ion concentrations reached their physiological levels in many bio environments. Such fluorescence changes can be attributed to interactions between QD surface ligands and ions as well as the Coulomb potential of ions that displaces the wave functions of the electron and hole confined inside the QD. These results are important for understanding the influence of different biological environments, such as extracellular and intracellular compartments, on optical properties of colloidal QDs.