Alloyed Mn–Cu–In–S nanocrystals: a new type of diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum dots

A new type of Mn–Cu–In–S diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum dots was synthesized and reported for the first time. The quantum dots, with no highly toxic elements, not only show the same classic diluted magnetic behavior as Mn-doped CdSe, but also exhibit tunable luminescent properties in a relatively large window from 542 to 648 nm. An absolute photoluminescence quantum yield up to 20% was obtained after the shell growth of ZnS. This kind of magnetic/luminescent bi-functional Mn–Cu–In–S/ZnS core/shell quantum dot might serve as promising nanoprobes for use in dual-mode optical and magnetic resonance imaging techniques.