Fabrication of luminescent cds nanoparticles on short-peptide-based hydrogel nanofibers: Tuning of Optoelectronic Properties

The pH-induced self-assembly of three synthetic tripeptides in water medium is used to immobilize luminescent CdS nanoparticles. These peptides form a nanofibrillar network structure upon gelation in aqueous medium at basic pH values (pH 11.013.0), and the fabrication of CdS nanoparticles on the gel nanofiber confers the luminescent property to these gels. Atomic force microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy clearly reveal the presence of CdS nanoparticles in a well-defined array on the gel nanofibers. This is a convenient way to make organic nanofiber-inorganic nanoparticle hybrid nanocomposite systems. The size of the CdS nanoparticles remains almost same before and after deposition on the gel nanofiber. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement of the CdS nano-