Table 1
Examples of synthesized quantum dots with their precursors, sizes and their respective synthesis processes.
| Quantum dot | Synthesis process | Size (nm) | Medium precursor | Application | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CdSe | Bottom-up approach (hot-solution decomposition process) | ~6 nm | Me2Cd, Se, TBP, TOPO, HPA | FRET | Peng et al. [32] |
| Manna et al. [33] | |||||
| CdSe/ZnS | Bottom-up approach (hot-solution decomposition process) | 4.5–5 nm | Me2Cd, Se, TOP, TOPO, HDA, (TMS)2S, Me2Zn | FRET | Hikmet et al. [29] |
| PbS | Bottom-up approach (hot-solution decomposition process) | 5 nm | PbO, OA, (TMS)2S | Photo-electronic devices | Bakueva et al. [35] |
| ZnSe/ZnS | Vapour-phase method | 1–1.9 nm | TOPO, diethyl zinc, L hexa-methyl-disilathiane, TBP | FRET, LEDs | Kim et al. [36, 65] |
| CdSe/ZnSe/ZnS | Hot solvent mixture (bottom-up approach) | ~8.6 nm | TOPO, diethyl zinc, L hexa-methyldisilathiane, TBP, CdO:Se molar ratio of 1:5 | Intra-cellular pH sensors | Liu et al. [37] |
| C-QDs (Carbon quantum dots) | Hydrothermal (green material used as source) | 4–6 nm | Banana peel waste | Bio imaging | Atchudan et al. [38] |
| C-QDs (COC dots), sulfur doped with hydrophilic groups at the surface | Ultrasonication (other methods) | 1–4 nm | Waste chimney oil | Sensors, bio-labeling, and ink | Das et al. [39] |
| C-QDs (Carbon quantum dots) | Pyrolysis (heat synthesis) | 6 nm | Finger-milletragi, CaCl2·2H2O, CuSO4·5H2O, Ni(NO3)2·6H2O, Mn(NO3)2.6H2O, MgCl2·6H2O | Biosensor | Murugan et al. [40, 60] |
| Graphene QDs (colloidal) | Modified hummers method (heat and ultrasonic treatment) | 2.9–3.6 nm | Graphene oxide sheets | HeLa cell line Cell nucleus (bio-imaging)/cellular imaging | Pan et al. [41, 62] |
| Boron-doped graphene quantum dots | Hydrothermal process (modified hummers process) | 3–7 nm | Graphite rods, 0.1 M borax | Stem-cell imaging (bio-imaging), cellular imaging | Fan et al. [42, 43] |