Quantum dots – polymer films as the reversible luminescent wide range temperature sensors

Abstract The paper considers the temperature sensitivity of luminescence of three polymer types films: polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene and polylactide doped with core-shell CdSe/CdS/ZnS and Cd0.9Mn0.1S/ZnS quantum dots. Films with uniform distribution of quantum dots in the polymer matrix were obtained by the spin-coating method. The influence of the quantum dots and polymer type, as well as their mutual content in the composite, on the thermal sensitivity and thermal stability of the films is considered. The thermal stability of the obtained composites was studied during multiple heating-cooling cycles to 100 and 175 °C, and the conditions for obtaining reusable reversible luminescent thermal sensors were established.