Nonthermal plasmas allow the preparation of ligand‐free quantum dots combining high production rates with superior crystalline quality and luminescence properties. Here, ZnO quantum dots are produced in a radiofrequency capacitively‐coupled plasma, exhibiting size dependent photoluminescent quantum yields up to 60% after air exposure—the highest reported to date for any compound semiconductor quantum dots prepared in the gas phase. Systematic studies indicate the importance of the surface for the observed luminescence behavior. The high luminescent quantum yields in the visible range of the spectrum and the ligand‐free, scalable synthesis make these quantum dots good candidates for light emitting applications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.