Photosensitization of the luminescence of CdTe nanocrystals by noncovalently bound Zn tetraphenylporphyrin

Steady-state and time-resolved luminescence experiments show that, in CHCl3, Zn(TPP) (TPP = meso-tetraphenylporphyrin) and CdTe nanocrystals of diameter 5.6 nm afford self-assembled complexes in which the fluorescence of the former is quenched and the bandgap luminescence of the latter is sensitized. These results indicate the occurrence of photoinduced energy transfer from the Zn(TPP) donors to the noncovalently bound CdTe acceptors, a phenomenon which is rarely observed for chemically functionalized semiconductor quantum dots.