# US 10,767,110 B2 · System and method for making quantum dots

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- Number: US 10,767,110 B2
- Document ID: US10767110B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/966,078
- Filed: 2018-04-30
- Published: 2018-11-01
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-04
- Assignees: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
- Applicants: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
- Inventors: Osman M. Bakr; Jun Pan; Ala'a El-Ballouli; Kristian Rahbek Knudsen; Ahmed L. Abdelhady
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767110B2

## CPC

- C09K 11/661: {Chalcogenides}
- B01J 13/00: Colloid chemistry, e.g. the production of colloidal materials or their solutions, not otherwise provided for; Making microcapsules or microballoons
- B01J 14/00: Chemical processes in general for reacting liquids with liquids; Apparatus specially adapted therefor (B01J8/00, B01J19/08 take precedence)
- B01J 19/0093: {Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors (laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027)}
- C01G 15/006: {Compounds containing gallium, indium or thallium, with or without oxygen or hydrogen, and containing two or more other elements}
- C01G 21/21: Sulfides
- C01G 51/15: Sulfides; Oxysulfides
- C09K 11/025: {non-luminescent particle coatings or suspension media}
- C09K 11/54: containing zinc or cadmium
- C09K 11/582: {Chalcogenides}
- H10F 77/1433: {Quantum dots}
- H10H 20/811: having quantum effect structures or superlattices, e.g. tunnel junctions
- H10P 14/265: {using solutions}
- H10P 14/3436: {being chalcogenide semiconductor materials not being oxides, e.g. ternary compounds}
- H10P 14/3461: {Nanoparticles}
- B01J 2219/00792: One or more tube-shaped elements
- B01J 2219/00795: Spiral-shaped
- B01J 2219/00833: Plastic
- B01J 2219/0086: Dimensions of the flow channels
- B01J 2219/00873: Heat exchange
- B01J 2219/00889: Mixing
- B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- B82Y 35/00: Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
- Y10S 977/774: Exhibiting three-dimensional carrier confinement, e.g. quantum dots
- Y10S 977/896: Chemical synthesis, e.g. chemical bonding or breaking
- Y10S 977/95: Electromagnetic energy
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C01G: COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F (metal hydrides {monoborane, diborane or addition complexes thereof} C01B6/00; salts of oxyacids of halogens C01B11/00; peroxides, salts or peroxyacids C01B15/00; thiosulfates, dithionites, polythionates C01B17/64; compounds containing selenium, or tellurium C01B19/00; binary compounds of nitrogen with metals C01B21/06; azides C01B21/08; {compounds containing nitrogen, other non-metals and metal C01B21/082}; metal amides C01B21/092; nitrites C01B21/50; {compounds of noble gases C01B23/0005}; phosphides C01B25/08; salts of oxyacids of phosphorus C01B25/16; carbides C01B32/90; compounds containing silicon C01B33/00; compounds containing boron C01B35/00; compounds having molecular sieve properties but not having base-exchange properties C01B37/00; compounds having molecular sieve and base-exchange properties, e.g. crystalline zeolites, C01B39/00; cyanides C01C3/08; salts of cyanamide C01C3/16; thiocyanates C01C3/20)
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for methods of making quantum dots (QDs) (passivated or unpassivated) using a continuous flow process, systems for making QDs using a continuous flow process, and the like. In one or more embodiments, the QDs produced using embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in solar photovoltaic cells, bio-imaging, IR emitters, or LEDs.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for making a quantum dot (QD), comprising:
a mixing device for receiving solution A and solution B, wherein the mixing device is configured to mix solution A and solution B to form solution C;
a first coil in fluidic communication with the mixing device, wherein the first coil is configured to form QD seeds from solution C via nucleation and is connected to a first thermocouple configured for a first temperature; and
a second coil positioned in serial communication with the first coil, wherein the second coil is in fluidic communication with the first coil and directly attached to the first coil, wherein the second coil is configured to grow the QDs from the QD seeds and is connected to a second thermocouple configured for a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature,
wherein the first coil and the second coil are independent of one another.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a continuous flow process system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the mixing device is one or more of a mixing chip or heating column.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is about 110 to 130° C.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second temperature is about 70 to 90° C.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more containers in fluidic communication with the mixing device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
an introduction port positioned after the second coil to introduce a solution to the QDs; and
a third coil positioned in serial communication with the second coil, wherein the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil are independent of one another.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the injection port is configured to introduce CdCl2 TBAI, CO, tetrabutylammonium bromide, tetrabutylammonium chloride, inorganic halides, pseudohalides, halometallate ligands, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the third coil is configured to passivate the QDs.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the third coil is operated at a third temperature.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein one or more of the first coil, second coil, and third coil are made of one or more of Teflon, PFA, PTFE, FEP, PVDF, and ETFE.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a collection device for collecting QDs.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the collection device is configured to one or more of separate, rinse, and wash QDs.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of temperature and residence time may be adjusted to vary a size of QDs.

### Claim 15 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the second coil is longer than the first coil and the third coil is shorter than the first coil.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein solution C comprises a solution of QD precursors and an inert immiscible fluid and the mixing device is configured to segment flow of the QD precursors into droplets of the solution within the inert immiscible fluid.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein one or more of solution A and solution B include a fluorinated fluid in the inert immiscible fluid.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the fluorinated fluid is one or more of C15F33N, C18H39N, FC-70, FC-71, and FC-770.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the third temperature is about 30 to about 70° C.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein each of the first temperature, second temperature, and third temperature are different.