What type of material is typically used in quantum dots?

Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductor particles that have unique electronic properties due to their size and composition. The primary characteristic that governs their behavior is the quantum confinement effect, which leads to the discrete energy levels within the material. Typically, these materials include elements from groups II-VI or III-V of the periodic table, with common examples being cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium sulfide (CdS), and indium phosphide (InP).

Using conductive materials such as zinc is particularly relevant because zinc selenide (ZnSe) and indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) are also frequently utilized to create quantum dots. These semiconductive properties allow the quantum dots to be effective in various applications, including display technologies, solar cells, and biological imaging.

In contrast, metallic, organic, or textile materials do not exhibit the same unique electronic characteristics suitable for creating quantum dots. While metals can have nanostructures, they do not function in the same manner as semiconductors at the nanoscale. Organic materials can be utilized in other types of nanotechnology but do not possess the specific quantum confinement effects that define the behavior of quantum dots. Textile materials, being primarily fibrous and not conducive to semiconductor properties,