Composite comprising semiconductor nanocrystals and method of preparing the same

A method of preparing a semiconductor nanocrystal-silicate composite, the method comprising:

• (i) providing a sol gel silicate solution, wherein the sol gel silicate is a reaction product of a first silane having the structure of Si(OR1)4, wherein R1 is selected from a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C8 alkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C8 heteroalkyl;
• and a second silane having the structure of R2SiR3n(OR4)3-n, wherein n is an integer selected from 0, 1 and 2;
• R2 and R3 are each independently selected from hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C36 alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C36 heteroalkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group, an aliphatic cyclic group, a heterocyclic group, or a heteroaromatic group;
• and R4 is selected from a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C8 alkyl, or a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C8 heteroalkyl;
• wherein the sol gel silicate has a number average molecular weight of 500 or more;
• (ii) mixing semiconductor nanocrystals with the sol gel silicate solution to form a mixture;
• (iii) drying or allowing to dry the mixture to provide the composite;
• and
• (iv) optionally milling the composite.