Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
A process for the synthesis of CdS nanoparticles embedded in hybrid organic/inorganic silica matrices has been developed, based both on colloid and sol-gel chemistry. The large possibilities offered by these techniques allow the study of the influence of various parameters on the luminescence properties of the nanoparticles. Two directions were investigated: first, we characterized the surface of the nanoparticles complexed with an organic thiol using NMR spectroscopy. Then, we synthesized new systems to study the influence of chemical modifications, such as the composition of the aggregates (CdS:Mn), the surface (CdS/ZnS core/shell nanostructures) and the interface between the aggregate and the gel matrix.