Spectral-luminescence properties of the complexes formed by similarly charged CdTe quantum dots and tetrasulfophthalocyanine molecules

The interaction between negatively charged CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and tetrasulfophthalocy-anine (TSPC) molecules in weak-acid and alkaline media has been investigated by spectral-luminescence methods. Similarly charged QDs and TSPC molecules are found to form complexes that exhibit energy transfer from QDs to TSPC according to the mechanism of fluorescent resonance energy transfer. The channels of QD-luminescence quenching that compete with the intracomplex energy transfer and their contribution to the total QD-luminescence quenching are discussed. A model of the formation of complexes between similarly charged QDs and molecules is proposed.