The Biosynthesis of Infrared-Emitting Quantum Dots in Allium Fistulosum.
Sci Rep 2016;
6:20480. [PMID:
26857581 PMCID:
PMC4746658 DOI:
10.1038/srep20480]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of simple routes to emissive solid-state materials is of paramount interest, and in this report we describe the biosynthesis of infrared emitting quantum dots in a living plant via a mutual antagonistic reaction. Exposure of common Allium fistulosum to mercury and tellurium salts under ambient conditions resulted in the expulsion of crystalline, non-passivated HgTe quantum dots that exhibited emissive characteristics in the near-infrared spectral region, a wavelength range that is important in telecommunications and solar energy conversion.
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