Synthesis of group I–III–VI semiconductor quantum dots and its application in food safety testing

As a good fluorescent material, most I–III–VI ternary semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) do not contain heavy metal elements such as Cd and Pb and thus have low toxicity. In addition, they also have excellent data performance such as narrow band gap, large absorption coefficient, large Stokes shift, low self-absorption effect, and luminescence wavelength in the near infrared region. I–III–VI QDs also have a size-dependent luminescence in the visible and near-infrared ranges, and their fluorescence quantum yields can exceed 50% especially when coated with ZnS shells, thus offering great potential for applications in illumination, display, and bioimaging. The review focuses on the synthesis of group I–III–VI QDs, their properties, and applications. In the first part, we discuss the approaches to synthesize these QDs. In the second section, we provide an overview of the applications of I–III–VI QDs in food safety detection, with emphasis on the detection of heavy metal ions, foodborne pathogens, food additives, pesticide, and veterinary drug residues. The final section summarizes the current application prospects of ternary semiconductor QDs.