A reverse microemulsion technique has been used to synthesize quantum dot nanocomposites within a SiO2 surface coating. With this approach, the unique optical properties of the CdSe/ZnS quantum dots were preserved. CdSe/ZnS/SiO2 nanoparticles were homogeneously
distributed in a tetramethyl orthosilicate ethanol solution and gelation process was initiated within a 10 min, and was left over night at room temperature and dried fully to achieve a solid SiO2 monolith. The resulting monolith was transparent and fluorescent under ultraviolet
(UV) lamp. Moreover the monolith produced was crack-free. Further studies on the photo stability of the monolith were performed using a high power UV LED device. Remarkably, quantum dots in the SiO2 monolith showed better photo stability compared with those dispersed in a polymer
matrix.