Photoinduced polymer-confined CQDs for efficient photoluminescent 2D/3D printing applications

Abstract

CQD-loaded photopolymers were efficiently synthesized using commercially available materials in an easy one step process, combining the fast thermal decomposition of a carbon precursor with the direct integration into photopolymerizable acrylate formulations. Depending on the polymer matrix, the nanocomposites exhibited different optical properties as a result of their surface chemistry and dispersion state, while maintaining similar blue fluorescence in the 425–470 nm region. The CQD@triacrylate photoluminescent films showed the highest quantum yield (∼65%), most likely due to improved nanoparticle confinement inside the crosslinked network, compared to the diacrylate or co-polymer matrixes. The low viscosity of the monomer dispersions allowed them to be used as fluorescent inks for glass and textile coatings, 2D stenciling/stamping of various shapes or as photocurable resins for 3D printing in the near visible region. This provides promising future applications in optics, nanomedicine, sensing, anti-counterfeiting or textile functionalization.