Applied optics

Water-soluble InP/ZnS QDs as dibutyl phthalate markers. The influence of alcohol on the solubility of phthalates

A. S. Kulagina^ab, V. V. Danilov^c, V. B. Shilov<sup>d

a</sup> Alferov Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Education and Science Saint Petersburg National Research Academic University of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg
^b Ioffe Institute, St. Petersburg
^c Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University
^d All-Russian Research Center "S. I. Vavilov State Optical Institute", St. Petersburg

Abstract: The interaction of semiconductor water-soluble InP/ZnS-PEG-COOH quantum dots (QDs) with dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in fresh and sea water samples has been studied. It was found that an increase in the DBP concentration in a fresh water with QDs leads to an increase in the QD luminescence (PL) amplitude. The PL increase is caused by the DBP molecules localization in the QD Onsager cavity and the passivation of its surface. An increase in the ethanol concentration enhances the solubility of DBP and can serve as a means of raising the sensitivity when registering phthalates in aqueous media. Observations of the PL dynamics in sea water samples from the Black, Mediterranean, and White seas showed the individual character of the interaction of InP/ZnS QDs with DBP, as well as in the case of an increase in ethanol concentration. It has been established that plastic packaging containing substances with a few percentage of alcohol is potentially hazardous to human health.

Keywords: Water quality, water-soluble InP/ZnS quantum dots, dibutyl phthalate, absorption spectra, luminescence.

Received: 03.02.2021
Revised: 03.02.2021
Accepted: 18.02.2021

DOI: 10.21883/OS.2021.06.50995.1878-21

 English version: Optics and Spectroscopy, 2021, 129:12, 1341–1345

Bibliographic databases:

•