Patent #: CN105670631B / US10377946B2 / WO2016086511A1

Inventor: Liang Li, Zhichun Li

Highlights

• The invention uses a self-passivating element such as aluminum to form a protective oxide layer on or within the quantum-dot shell.
• It turns a typical degradation pathway—oxidation—into a stabilizing mechanism that improves light stability while retaining the advantages of quantum-dot emission.

Summary

This patent family captures one of Professor Li’s earliest and most elegant ideas: using self-passivation to protect quantum dots. By doping quantum dots with a self-passivating element, the material can form a thin oxide barrier that suppresses further degradation. The invention is inspired by the way metals such as aluminum protect themselves through surface oxide formation. In the context of quantum dots, this principle offers a compact and material-intrinsic route to improved photostability. The patent is foundational because it establishes the protection-first logic that later evolves into oxide coatings, confined synthesis, and ceramic-stable nanocrystal platforms.

Patent citation: L. Li and Z. Li, “Self-passivating quantum dot and preparation method thereof,” International Patent Application WO2016086511A1.