Core-size dependent photoluminescence blinking of isolated quantum dot-fullerene hybrids

We demonstrate the possibility to bias the photoluminescence blinking of isolated colloidal quantum dots coupled to fullerenes by varying the quantum dot core size. Changing the core size affects the energy offset between the donor and acceptor and directly affects the driving force for electron transfer between the two moieties. Single particle photoluminescence measurements reveal dramatic reduction in the on-time associated with the photoluminescence blinking in quantum dot-fullerene hybrids when the quantum dot core size decreases, a manifestation associated with enhanced electron transfer. Special Issue Comment: This project is about the blink properties of QDs in the presence of electron acceptor moieties and it connects with two articles from this Special Issue involving treatments when solving single molecules.^1,2