Methods for encapsulating nanocrystals and resulting compositions
View Patent ↗The present invention provides methods for hermetically sealing luminescent nanocrystals, as well as compositions and containers comprising hermetically sealed luminescent nanocrystals. By hermetically sealing the luminescent nanocrystals, enhanced lifetime and luminescence can be achieved.
1. A microsphere comprising:
a composition comprising:
luminescent core-shell nanocrystals; and
an inorganic layer covering each of the luminescent core-shell nanocrystals; and
a barrier layer, disposed on the inorganic layer, configured to hermetically seal the composition, wherein the barrier layer consists essentially of SiO 2 , TiO 2 , or Al 2 O 3 .
2. The microsphere of claim 1 , wherein the luminescent core-shell nanocrystals are separated from each other by the inorganic layer.
3. The microsphere of claim 1 , wherein the luminescent core-shell nanocrystals are selected from the group consisting of CdSe/ZnS, CdSe/CdS, and InP/ZnS.
4. The microsphere of claim 1 , wherein the luminescent core-shell nanocrystals are between about 1-10 nm in size.
5. The microsphere of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic layer comprises silicon.
6. The microsphere of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic layer comprises silica or titania.