This article reports on a project that concluded 3 nm diameter CdTe quantum dots can generate enhanced Raman scattering.
It was determined that the Raman signal of 4-mercaptopyridine (4-Mpy) adsorbed on CdTe quantum dots shows a 104 enhancement compared with that of bulk 4-Mpy. The enhanced phenomenon based on CdTe quantum dots also provides new insight to help understand the enhancement mechanism. A charge-transfer mechanism is most likely responsible for the observed enhancement, since plasmon resonances are ruled out. This study points to the possibility of using quantum dots, with chemisorption in some important practical systems, such as the application of quantum dots as nanosized building blocks and markers in biological imaging. (publisher abstract modified)