Cd-free fluorescent InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) have attracted attention for use as color converters of liquid crystal displays. To protect InP/ZnS QDs from oxygen, which degrades them by photo-oxidation during excitation, we fabricated a transparent monolithic silica composite containing the QDs using an aqueous solution of tetramethylammonium silicate (TMAS) as a silica source. The TMAS solution was basic and readily dispersed the negatively charged QDs obtained by ligand exchange of 1-dodecanethiol for 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). A highly transparent monolithic TMAS-derived silica composite containing the MPA-modified QDs (InP/ZnS-MPA@TMAS) was obtained from the aqueous QD dispersion through a sol-gel process. The photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of InP/ZnS-MPA@TMAS was 21.7%. Changes in PL intensity under continuous 400-nm excitation were measured to evaluate the photostability of the QDs in InP/ZnS-MPA@TMAS. The PL intensity of InP/ZnS-MPA@TMAS was over 90% of the initial value after 180 min, while that of a reference polymethylmethacrylate film containing hydrophobic QDs decreased to 69%. The higher photostability of InP/ZnS-MPA@TMAS than that of the reference film was explained by the TMAS-derived silica acting as a gas barrier to protect the embedded QDs from photo-oxidation by oxygen in air. A quantum dot (QD) is a semiconductor nanocrystal. As the size of a QD decreases, its bandgap widens because of the quantum size effect. The fluorescent wavelength of a QD therefore depends on its size.1 The tunable fluorescent wavelength of QDs means they are applicable to white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 2 and bioimaging. 3 CdS and CdSe QDs have been frequently studied because their fluorescent wavelength is tunable in the visible range. 4 InP QDs have recently attracted attention because they are Cd-free with low toxicity. InP QDs have been synthesized via hot injection 5 and thermal 6 methods. Yang et al. 6 coated an InP core prepared by the latter method with a ZnS shell to passivate dangling bonds on the QD surface. The obtained InP/ZnS core/shell QDs displayed a high quantum yield (QY) of up to 60%, tunable fluorescent wavelength, and narrow emission peak. The color reproduction range of liquid crystal displays could be improved by using such InP/ZnS QDs as a color converter in the LED backlight.For practical optoelectronic applications, QDs have to retain their photoluminescence (PL) intensity during continuous excitation. However, the PL intensity of QDs decreases over time because of the photooxidation of the QD surface by oxygen.7 One method used to improve the photostability of QDs is formation of a core/shell structure. However, the PL intensity of InP/ZnS core/shell QDs deteriorated to 40% of the initial PL intensity after continuous excitation by 365-nm light for 10 h. 6 Thus, it is difficult to completely avoid PL deterioration even for QDs with a core/shell structure. 6 Incorporation of well-dispersed QDs into a matrix to protect them from oxygen is another way to avoid PL deterioration of ...