Investigation of the Emission Properties of Quantum Dot-thermoresponsive Polymer Nanocomposite Hydrogels with Temperature

This thesis presents a novel method for the preparation of quantum dot-thermoresponsive polymer nanocomposite hydrogels. The quantum dots (QD’s) were synthesized in a microwave reactor using a high temperature organometallic synthesis procedure. The initial hydrophobic surface layer on the QD’s was coated with an amphiphilic polymer to enable phase transfer from non-polar solvent to water followed by physical immobilization of the QD’s in the thermoresponsive polymer hydrogel by photopolymerization. Their temperature dependent emission properties were investigated as a function of concentration of the incorporated QD’s. The resultant temperature dependent changes in the position of the peak emission wavelength of the QD-polymer nanocomposite hydrogels were found to be due to the change in the physical environment causing increased interaction between the embedded amphiphilic polymer coated QD’s and/or due to aggregation of QD’s. This change in peak emission position was found to be reversible in the temperature range from 29 to 37 °C