Although various analytical methods have been established based on quantum dots (QDs), most were conducted in solution, which is inadequate for storage/transportation and rapid analysis. Moreover, the potential environmental problems caused by abandoned QDs cannot be ignored. In this paper, a reusable xerogel containing CdTe with strong emission is established by introducing host⁻guest interactions between QDs and polymer matrix. This xerogel shows high QDs loading capacity without decrease or redshift in fluorescence (the maximum of loading is 50 wt % of the final xerogel), which benefits from the steric hindrance of β-cyclodextrin (βCD) molecules. Host⁻guest interactions immobilize QDs firmly, resulting in the excellent fluorescence retention of the xerogel. The good detecting performance and reusability mean this xerogel could be employed as a versatile analysis platform (for quantitative and qualitative analyses). In addition, the xerogel can be self-healed by the aid of water.
Keywords: host–guest interactions; quantum dots; xerogel.