Publications
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Hybrid nanoparticle (NP) arrays based on particles of different sizes and chemistries are highly desirable to obtain tunable properties for nanodevices. A simple approach to control the spatial organization of NP mixtures within supramolecular frameworks based on NP size has been developed. By varying the ratio of the NP size to the periodicity of the block-copolymer-based supramolecule, a range of hybrid NP assemblies in thin films, ranging from 1D chains to 2D lattices and 3D arrays and networks of NPs, can be readily generated.
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Neuroscience is at a crossroads. Great effort is being invested into deciphering specific neural interactions and circuits. At the same time, there exist few general theories or principles that explain brain function. We attribute this disparity, in part, to limitations in current methodologies. Traditional neurophysiological approaches record the activities of one neuron or a few neurons at a time. Neurochemical approaches focus on single neurotransmitters. Yet, there is an increasing realization that neural circuits operate at emergent levels, where the interactions between hundreds or thousands of neurons, utilizing multiple chemical transmitters, generate functional states. Brains function at the nanoscale, so tools to study brains must ultimately operate at this scale, as well. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are poised to provide a rich toolkit of novel methods to explore brain function by enabling simultaneous measurement and manipulation of activity of thousands or even millions of neurons. We and others refer to this goal as the Brain Activity Mapping Project. In this Nano Focus, we discuss how recent developments in nanoscale analysis tools and in the design and synthesis of nanomaterials have generated optical, electrical, and chemical methods that can readily be adapted for use in neuroscience. These approaches represent exciting areas of technical development and research. Moreover, unique opportunities exist for nanoscientists, nanotechnologists, and other physical scientists and engineers to contribute to tackling the challenging problems involved in understanding the fundamentals of brain function.
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Neuroscientists have made impressive advances in understanding the microscale function of single neurons and the macroscale activity of the human brain. One can probe molecular and biophysical aspects of individual neurons and also view the human brain in action with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or magnetoencephalography (MEG). However, the mechanisms of perception, cognition, and action remain mysterious because they emerge from the real-time interactions of large sets of neurons in densely interconnected, widespread neural circuits.
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In situ soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was employed to study the adsorption and dissociation of carbon monoxide molecules on cobalt nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 4 to 15 nm. The majority of CO molecules adsorb molecularly on the surface of the nanoparticles, but some undergo dissociative adsorption, leading to oxide species on the surface of the nanoparticles. We found that the tendency of CO to undergo dissociation depends critically on the size of the Co nanoparticles. Indeed, CO molecules dissociate much more efficiently on the larger nanoparticles (15 nm) than on the smaller particles (4 nm). We further observed a strong increase in the dissociation rate of adsorbed CO upon exposure to hydrogen, clearly demonstrating that the CO dissociation on cobalt nanoparticles is assisted by hydrogen. Our results suggest that the ability of cobalt nanoparticles to dissociate hydrogen is the main parameter determining the reactivity of cobalt nanoparticles in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis.
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The function of neural circuits is an emergent property that arises from the coordinated activity of large numbers of neurons. To capture this, we propose launching a large-scale, international public effort, the Brain Activity Map Project, aimed at reconstructing the full record of neural activity across complete neural circuits. This technological challenge could prove to be an invaluable step toward understanding fundamental and pathological brain processes.
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III-V nanocrystals displaying high crystallinity and low size dispersity are difficult to access by direct synthesis from molecular precursors. Here, we demonstrate that cation exchange of cadmium pnictide nanocrystals with group 13 ions yields monodisperse, crystalline III-V nanocrystals, including GaAs, InAs, GaP, and InP. This report highlights the versatility of cation exchange for accessing nanocrystals with covalent lattices.
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Fluorescence intermittency and excited-state decay measurements are carried out on single CdSe-CdS core-shell quantum dots (QD) stabilized with chalcogenidometalates (ChaMs, In2Se42-, or Sn2S64-)-. The results are used to probe the nature and distribution of charge trapping sites in the QD local environment. A comparison is made between capping by a neutral organic ligand (oleylamine) and a small inorganic ligand with high charge density (ChaMs). Overall, shorter on-state durations and longer off-state durations are observed for the ChaMs. These results indicate an increased density of charge trapping sites and increased stabilization of surface-trapped charges. By varying the thickness of the CdS shell, we identified hole trapping by the ligand as the dominant charging mechanism in ChaM-capped QDs. Faster excited-state decay rates are measured for the ChaM-capped QDs, highlighting the role of strongly stabilized trapped charges in this system. Using cyclic voltammetry measurements of the ChaMs, an energy level diagram is constructed relating the ChaMs and CdSe-CdS-QDs that explains their superior performance as active layers in photodetectors.
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This work addresses the determination of arbitrarily shaped particle size distributions (PSDs) from PbS and PbSe quantum dot (QD) optical absorbance spectra in order to arrive at a relationship between band gap energy and particle size over a large size range. Using a modified algorithm which was previously developed for ZnO, we take only bulk absorption data from the literature and match the PSDs derived from QD absorbance spectra with those from transmission electron microscopical (TEM) image analysis in order to arrive at the functional dependence of the band gap on particle size. Additional samples sized solely from their absorbance spectra with our algorithm show excellent agreement with TEM results. We investigate the influence of parameters of the TEM image analysis such as threshold value on the final result. The band gap versus size relationship developed from analysis of just two samples lies well within the bounds of a number of published data sets. We believe that our methodology provides an attractive shortcut for the study of various novel quantum-confined direct band gap semiconductor systems as it permits the band gap energies of a broad size range of QDs to be probed with relatively few synthetic experiments and without quantum mechanical simulations.
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Ferroelectricity in finite-dimensional systems continues to arouse interest, motivated by predictions of vortex polarization states and the utility of ferroelectric nanomaterials in memory devices, actuators and other applications. Critical to these areas of research are the nanoscale polarization structure and scaling limit of ferroelectric order, which are determined here in individual nanocrystals comprising a single ferroelectric domain. Maps of ferroelectric structural distortions obtained from aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, combined with holographic polarization imaging, indicate the persistence of a linearly ordered and monodomain polarization state at nanometre dimensions. Room-temperature polarization switching is demonstrated down to ~5?nm dimensions. Ferroelectric coherence is facilitated in part by control of particle morphology, which along with electrostatic boundary conditions is found to determine the spatial extent of cooperative ferroelectric distortions. This work points the way to multi-Tbit/in2 memories and provides a glimpse of the structural and electrical manifestations of ferroelectricity down to its ultimate limits.
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Nanostructured light trapping has emerged as a promising route toward improved efficiency in solar cells. We use coupled optical and electrical modeling to guide optimization of such nanostructures. We study thin-film n-i-p a-Si:H devices and demonstrate that nanostructures can be tailored to minimize absorption in the doped a-Si:H, improving carrier collection efficiency. This suggests a method for device optimization in which optical design not only maximizes absorption, but also ensures resulting carriers are efficiently collected.
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We demonstrate a new light trapping technique that exploits dielectric core-shell optical antennas to strongly enhance solar absorption. This approach can allow the thickness of active materials in solar cells lowered by almost 1 order of magnitude without scarifying solar absorption capability. For example, it can enable a 70 nm thick hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film to absorb 90% of incident solar radiation above the bandgap, which would otherwise require a thickness of 400 nm in typical antireflective coated thin films. This strong enhancement arises from a controlled optical antenna effect in patterned core-shell nanostructures that consist of absorbing semiconductors and nonabsorbing dielectric materials. This core-shell optical antenna benefits from a multiplication of enhancements contributed by leaky mode resonances (LMRs) in the semiconductor part and antireflection effects in the dielectric part. We investigate the fundamental mechanism for this enhancement multiplication and demonstrate that the size ratio of the semiconductor and the dielectric parts in the core-shell structure is key for optimizing the enhancement. By enabling strong solar absorption enhancement, this approach holds promise for cost reduction and efficiency improvement of solar conversion devices, including solar cells and solar-to-fuel systems. It can generally apply to a wide range of inorganic and organic active materials. This dielectric core-shell antenna can also find applications in other photonic devices such as photodetectors, sensors, and solid-state lighting diodes.
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Semiconductor nanocrystal solids are attractive materials for active layers in next-generation optoelectronic devices; however, their efficient implementation has been impeded by the lack of precise control over dopant concentrations. Herein we demonstrate a chemical strategy for the controlled doping of nanocrystal solids under equilibrium conditions. Exposing lead selenide nanocrystal thin films to solutions containing varying proportions of decamethylferrocene and decamethylferrocenium incrementally and reversibly increased the carrier concentration in the solid by 2 orders of magnitude from their native values. This application of redox buffers for controlled doping provides a new method for the precise control of the majority carrier concentration in porous semiconductor thin films.
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In conventional spectroscopy, transitions between electronic levels are governed by the electric dipole selection rule because electric quadrupole, magnetic dipole, and coupled electric dipole-magnetic dipole transitions are forbidden in a far field. We demonstrated that by using nanostructured electromagnetic fields, the selection rules of absorption spectroscopy could be fundamentally manipulated. We also show that forbidden transitions between discrete quantum levels in a semiconductor nanorod structure are allowed within the near-field of a noble metal nanoparticle. Atomistic simulations analyzed by an effective mass model reveal the breakdown of the dipolar selection rules where quadrupole and octupole transitions are allowed. Our demonstration could be generalized to the use of nanostructured near-fields for enhancing light-matter interactions that are typically weak or forbidden.
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The use of a decal transfer lithography technique to fabricate elastomeric stamps with triangular cross-sections, specifically triangular prisms and cones, is described. These stamps are used in demonstrations for several prototypical optical applications, including the fabrication of multiheight 3D photoresist patterns with near zero-width features using near-field phase shift lithography, fabrication of periodic porous polymer structures by maskless proximity field nanopatterning, embossing thin-film antireflection coatings for improved device performance, and efficient fabrication of substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic sensing. The applications illustrate the utility of the triangular poly(dimethylsiloxane) decals for a wide variety of optics-centric applications, particularly those that exploit the ability of the designed geometries and materials combinations to manipulate light-matter interactions in a predictable and controllable manner.
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Direct imaging of nanoparticle solutions by liquid phase transmission electron microscopy has enabled unique in situ studies of nanoparticle motion and growth. In the present work, we report on real-time formation of two-dimensional nanoparticle arrays in the very low diffusive limit, where nanoparticles are mainly driven by capillary forces and solvent fluctuations. We find that superlattice formation appears to be segregated into multiple regimes. Initially, the solvent front drags the nanoparticles, condensing them into an amorphous agglomerate. Subsequently, the nanoparticle crystallization into an array is driven by local fluctuations. Following the crystallization event, superlattice growth can also occur via the addition of individual nanoparticles drawn from outlying regions by different solvent fronts. The dragging mechanism is consistent with simulations based on a coarse-grained lattice gas model at the same limit.
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We introduce a new type of liquid cell for in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) based on entrapment of a liquid film between layers of graphene. The graphene liquid cell facilitates atomic-level resolution imaging while sustaining the most realistic liquid conditions achievable under electron-beam radiation. We employ this cell to explore the mechanism of colloidal platinum nanocrystal growth. Direct atomic-resolution imaging allows us to visualize critical steps in the process, including site-selective coalescence, structural reshaping after coalescence, and surface faceting.
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Pure crystals: Ion exchange of semiconductor nanocrystals yielded materials with poor optoelectronic properties such as low photoluminescence quantum yields. The reason for the low quantum yields of these nanocrystals are impurities at the level of a few atoms per nanocrystal. Cation-exchanged nanostructures, however, could be purified post exchange from such impurities resulting in high-quality nanocrystals (see picture).
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We used a fluorogenic reaction to study in conjunction the photocatalytic properties for both active sites (trapped photogenerated electrons and holes) on individual Sb-doped TiO2 nanorods with single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. It was found that active sites around trapped holes show higher activity, stronger binding ability, and a different dissociation mechanism for the same substrate and product molecules in comparison with the active sites around trapped electrons. These differences could be elucidated by a model involving the charged microenvironments around the active sites.
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Transition-metal oxide nanocrystals are interesting candidates for localized surface plasmon resonance hosts because they exhibit fascinating properties arising from the unique character of their outer-d valence electrons. WO3-δ nanoparticles are known to have intense visible and near-IR absorption, but the origin of the optical absorption has remained unclear. Here we demonstrate that metallic phases of WO3-δ nanoparticles exhibit a strong and tunable localized surface plasmon resonance, which opens up the possibility of rationally designing plasmonic tungsten oxide nanoparticles for light harvesting, bioimaging, and sensing.
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We investigated the effect of PbSe quantum dot size on the performance of Schottky solar cells made in an ITO/PEDOT/PbSe/aluminum structure, varying the PbSe nanoparticle diameter from 1 to 3 nm. In this highly confined regime, we find that the larger particle bandgap can lead to higher open-circuit voltages (~0.6 V), and thus an increase in overall efficiency compared to previously reported devices of this structure. To carry out this study, we modified existing synthesis methods to obtain ultrasmall PbSe nanocrystals with diameters as small as 1 nm, where the nanocrystal size is controlled by adjusting the growth temperature. As expected, we find that photocurrent decreases with size due to reduced absorption and increased recombination, but we also find that the open-circuit voltage begins to decrease for particles with diameters smaller than 2 nm, most likely due to reduced collection efficiency. Owing to this effect, we find peak performance for devices made with PbSe dots with a first exciton energy of ~1.6 eV (2.3 nm diameter), with a typical efficiency of 3.5%, and a champion device efficiency of 4.57%. Comparing the external quantum efficiency of our devices to an optical model reveals that the photocurrent is also strongly affected by the coherent interference in the thin film due to Fabry-Pérot cavity modes within the PbSe layer. Our results demonstrate that even in this simple device architecture, fine-tuning of the nanoparticle size can lead to substantial improvements in efficiency.
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Light-water reactor: An amorphous molybdenum sulfide species structurally similar to reduced MoS3 is shown to be photocatalytically active for hydrogen generation from H2O with visible light (see picture; TEOA=triethanolamine). Thermally deposited in one step, MoS3 is photosensitized by quantum-controlled semiconductor nanocrystals that serve as model systems for the photophysics of solar fuel generation.
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Determination of the phase diagrams for the nanocrystalline forms of materials is crucial for our understanding of nanostructures and the design of functional materials using nanoscale building blocks. The ability to study such transformations in nanomaterials with controlled shape offers further insight into transition mechanisms and the influence of particular facets. Here we present an investigation of the size-dependent, temperature-induced solid-solid phase transition in copper sulfide nanorods from low- to high-chalcocite. We find the transition temperature to be substantially reduced, with the high chalcocite phase appearing in the smallest nanocrystals at temperatures so low that they are typical of photovoltaic operation. Size dependence in phase transformations suggests the possibility of accessing morphologies that are not found in bulk solids under ambient conditions. These otherwise inaccessible crystal phases could enable higher-performing materials in a range of applications, including sensing, switching, lighting, and photovoltaics.
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In this work, H2 absorption and desorption in faceted, crystalline Au/Pd core/shell nanocrystals and their interaction with a SiOx/Si support were studied at the single-particle level. Dark-field microscopy was used to monitor the changing optical properties of these Au/Pd nanoparticles (NPs) upon exposure to H2 as reversible H2 uptake from the Pd shell proceeded. Analysis of the heterogeneous ensemble of NPs revealed the H2 uptake trajectory of each nanocrystal to be shape-dependent. Differences in particle uptake trajectories were observed for individual particles with different shapes, faceting, and Pd shell thickness. In addition to palladium hydride formation, the single-particle trajectories were able to decipher specific instances where palladium silicide formation and Au/Pd interdiffusion occurred and helped us determine that this was more frequently seen in those particles within an ensemble having thicker Pd shells. This noninvasive, plasmonic-based direct sensing technique shows the importance of single-particle experiments in catalytically active systems and provides a foundation for studying more complex catalytic processes in inhomogeneous NP systems.
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Metallic nanostructures possess plasmonic resonances that spatially confine light on the nanometre scale. In the ultimate limit of a single nanostructure, the electromagnetic field can be strongly concentrated in a volume of only a few hundred nm3 or less. This optical nanofocus is ideal for plasmonic sensing. Any object that is brought into this single spot will influence the optical nanostructure resonance with its dielectric properties. Here, we demonstrate antenna-enhanced hydrogen sensing at the single-particle level. We place a single palladium nanoparticle near the tip region of a gold nanoantenna and detect the changing optical properties of the system on hydrogen exposure by dark-field microscopy. Our method avoids any inhomogeneous broadening and statistical effects that would occur in sensors based on nanoparticle ensembles. Our concept paves the road towards the observation of single catalytic processes in nanoreactors and biosensing on the single-molecule level.
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We report a new and highly versatile approach to artificial layered materials synthesis which borrows concepts of molecular beam epitaxy, self-assembly, and graphite intercalation compounds. It readily yields stacks of graphene (or other two-dimensional sheets) separated by virtually any kind of "guest" species. The new material can be "sandwich like", for which the guest species are relatively closely spaced and form a near-continuous inner layer of the sandwich, or "veil like", where the guest species are widely separated, with each guest individually draped within a close-fitting, protective yet atomically thin graphene net or veil. The veils and sandwiches can be intermixed and used as a two-dimensional platform to control the movements and chemical interactions of guest species.
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The study of first-order structural transformations has been of great interest to scientists in many disciplines. Expectations from phase-transition theory are that the system fluctuates between two equilibrium structures near the transition point and that the region of transition broadens in small crystals. We report the direct observation of structural fluctuations within a single nanocrystal using transmission electron microscopy. We observed trajectories of structural transformations in individual nanocrystals with atomic resolution, which reveal details of the fluctuation dynamics, including nucleation, phase propagation, and pinning of structural domains by defects. Such observations provide crucial insight for the understanding of microscopic pathways of phase transitions.
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Recent advances in the synthesis of multicomponent nanocrystals have enabled the design of nanocrystal molecules with unique photophysical behavior and functionality. Here we demonstrate a highly luminescent nanocrystal molecule, the CdSe/CdS core/shell tetrapod, which is designed to have weak vibronic coupling between excited states and thereby violates Kasha's rule via emission from multiple excited levels. Using single particle photoluminescence spectroscopy, we show that in addition to the expected LUMO to HOMO radiative transition, a higher energy transition is allowed via spatially indirect recombination. The oscillator strength of this transition can be experimentally controlled, enabling control over carrier behavior and localization at the nanoscale.
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Compositional and interfacial control in heterojunction thin films is critical to the performance of complex devices that separate or combine charges. For high performance, these applications require epitaxially matched interfaces, which are difficult to produce. Here, we present a new architecture for producing low-strain, single-crystalline heterojunctions using self-assembly and in-film cation exchange of colloidal nanorods. A systematic set of experiments demonstrates a cation exchange procedure that lends precise control over compositional depths in a monolayer film of vertically aligned nanorods. Compositional changes are reflected by electrical performance as rectification is induced, quenched, and reversed during cation exchange from CdS to Cu2S to PbS. As an additional benefit, we achieve this single-crystal architecture via an inherently simple and low-temperature wet chemical process, which is general to a variety of chemistries. This permits ensemble measurement of transport through a colloidal nanoparticle film with no interparticle charge hopping.
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Localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) typically arise in nanostructures of noble metals resulting in enhanced and geometrically tunable absorption and scattering resonances. LSPRs, however, are not limited to nanostructures of metals and can also be achieved in semiconductor nanocrystals with appreciable free carrier concentrations. Here, we describe well-defined LSPRs arising from p-type carriers in vacancy-doped semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Achievement of LSPRs by free carrier doping of a semiconductor nanocrystal would allow active on-chip control of LSPR responses. Plasmonic sensing and manipulation of solid-state processes in single nanocrystals constitutes another interesting possibility. We also demonstrate that doped semiconductor QDs allow realization of LSPRs and quantum-confined excitons within the same nanostructure, opening up the possibility of strong coupling of photonic and electronic modes, with implications for light harvesting, nonlinear optics, and quantum information processing.
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Germanium telluride (GeTe) exhibits interesting materials properties, including a reversible amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition and a room-temperature ferroelectric distortion, and has demonstrated potential for nonvolatile memory applications. Here, a colloidal approach to the synthesis of GeTe nanocrystals over a wide range of sizes is demonstrated. These nanocrystals have size distributions of 10-20% and exist in the rhombohedral structure characteristic of the low-temperature polar phase. The production of nanocrystals of widely varying sizes is facilitated by the use of Ge(II) precursors with different reactivities. A transition from a monodomain state to a state with multiple polarization domains is observed with increasing size, leading to the formation of richly faceted nanostructures. These results provide a starting point for deeper investigation into the size-scaling and fundamental nature of polar-ordering and phase-change processes in nanoscale systems.
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The question of the nature and stability of polar ordering in nanoscale ferroelectrics is examined with colloidal nanocrystals of germanium telluride (GeTe). We provide atomic-scale evidence for room-temperature polar ordering in individual nanocrystals using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy and demonstrate a reversible, size-dependent polar-nonpolar phase transition of displacive character in nanocrystal ensembles. A substantial linear component of the distortion is observed, which is in contrast with theoretical reports predicting a toroidal state.
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The kinetics of cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanocrystal formation was studied using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy integrated with an automated, high-throughput synthesis platform. Reaction of anhydrous cadmium octadecylphosphonate (Cd-ODPA) with alkylphosphine selenides (1, tri-n-octylphosphine selenide; 2, di-n-butylphenylphosphine selenide; 3, n-butyldiphenylphosphine selenide) in recrystallized tri-n-octylphosphine oxide was monitored by following the absorbance of CdSe at λ = 350 nm, where the extinction coefficient is independent of size, and the disappearance of the selenium precursor using {1H}31P NMR spectroscopy. Our results indicate that precursor conversion limits the rate of nanocrystal nucleation and growth. The initial precursor conversion rate (Qo) depends linearly on [1] (Qo(1) = 3.0-36 μM/s) and decreases as the number of aryl groups bound to phosphorus increases (1 > 2 > 3). Changes to Qo influence the final number of nanocrystals and thus control particle size. Using similar methods, we show that changing [ODPA] has a negligible influence on precursor reactivity while increasing the growth rate of nuclei, thereby decreasing the final number of nanocrystals. These results are interpreted in light of a mechanism where the precursors react in an irreversible step that supplies the reaction medium with a solute form of the semiconductor.
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We combine transmission electron microscopy with electrostatic force microscopy to determine the built-in potential across individual isolated Cu2S-CdS heterostructured nanorods. We observe a variation of potentials for different bicomponent nanorods, ranging from 100 to 920 mV with an average of 250 mV. Nanorods of a uniform composition with no heterojunction do not show a built-in potential, as expected. The results are particularly relevant for applications of colloidal nanocrystals in optoelectronic devices such as photovoltaics.
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Microscale mechanical forces can determine important outcomes ranging from the site of material fracture to stem cell fate. However, local stresses in a vast majority of systems cannot be measured due to the limitations of current techniques. In this work, we present the design and implementation of the CdSe-CdS core-shell tetrapod nanocrystal, a local stress sensor with bright luminescence readout. We calibrate the tetrapod luminescence response to stress and use the luminescence signal to report the spatial distribution of local stresses in single polyester fibers under uniaxial strain. The bright stress-dependent emission of the tetrapod, its nanoscale size, and its colloidal nature provide a unique tool that may be incorporated into a variety of micromechanical systems including materials and biological samples to quantify local stresses with high spatial resolution.
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In ionic nanocrystals the cationic sublattice can be replaced with a different metal ion via a fast, simple, and reversible place exchange, allowing postsynthetic modification of the composition of the nanocrystal, while preserving its size and shape. Here, we demonstrate that, during such an exchange, the anionic framework of the crystal is preserved. When applied to nanoheterostructures, this phenomenon ensures that compositional interfaces within the heterostructure are conserved throughout the transformation. For instance, a morphology composed of a CdSe nanocrystal embedded in a CdS rod (CdSe/CdS) was exchanged to a PbSe/PbS nanorod via a Cu2Se/Cu2S structure. During every exchange cycle, the seed size and position within the nanorod were preserved, as evident by excitonic features, Z-contrast imaging, and elemental line scans. Anionic framework conservation extends the domain of cation exchange to the design of more complex and unique nanostructures.
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Electromagnetic coupling between plasmon resonant nanoparticles follows principles of molecular hybridization, that is, particle plasmons hybridize to form a lower energy bonding plasmon mode and a higher energy antibonding plasmon mode. For coupling between equivalent particles (homodimer), the in-phase mode is optically allowed, whereas the out-of-phase mode is dark due to the cancellation of the equivalent dipole moments. We probe, using polarized scattering spectroscopy, the coupling in a pair of nonequivalent particles (silver/gold nanoparticle heterodimer) that allows us to observe both in-phase and out-of-phase plasmon modes. The hybridization model postulates that the bonding modes should be red shifted with respect to the gold particle plasmon resonance and the antibonding modes blue shifted with respect to the silver particle plasmon resonance. In practice, the antibonding modes are red shifted with respect to the silver plasmon resonance. This anomalous shift is due to the coupling of the silver particle plasmon resonance to the quasi-continuum of interband transitions in gold, which dominate in the spectral region of the silver particle plasmon resonance. The hybridization model, which considers only free-electron behavior of the metals, fails to account for this coupling.
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Electron relaxation dynamics in CdS-Ag2S nanorods have been measured as a function of the relative fraction of the two semiconductors, which can be tuned via cation exchange between Cd2+ and Ag+. The transient bleach of the first excitonic state of the CdS nanorods is characterized by a biexponential decay corresponding to fast relaxation of the excited electrons into trap states. This signal completely disappears when the nanorods are converted to Ag2S but is fully recovered after a second exchange to convert them back to CdS, demonstrating annealing of the nonradiative trap centers probed and the robustness of the cation exchange reaction. Partial cation exchange produces heterostructures with embedded regions of Ag2S within the CdS nanorods. Transient bleaching of the CdS first excitonic state shows that increasing the fraction of Ag2S produces a greater contribution from the fast component of the biexponential bleach recovery, indicating that new midgap relaxation pathways are created by the Ag2S material. Transient absorption with a mid-infrared probe further confirms the presence of states that preferentially trap electrons on a time scale of 1 ps, 2 orders of magnitude faster than that of the parent CdS nanorods. These results suggest that the Ag2S regions within the heterostucture provide an efficient relaxation pathway for excited electrons in the CdS conduction band.
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We demonstrate the transition from isolated to collective optical modes in plasmonic oligomers. Specifically, we investigate the resonant behavior of planar plasmonic hexamers and heptamers with gradually decreasing the interparticle gap separation. A pronounced Fano resonance is observed in the plasmonic heptamer for separations smaller than 60 nm. The spectral characteristics change drastically upon removal of the central nanoparticle. Our work paves the road toward complex hierarchical plasmonic oligmers with tailored optical properties.
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Quantum dots, which have found widespread use in fields such as biomedicine, photovoltaics, and electronics, are often called artificial atoms due to their size-dependent physical properties. Here this analogy is extended to consider artificial nanocrystal molecules, formed from well-defined groupings of plasmonically or electronically coupled single nanocrystals. Just as a hydrogen molecule has properties distinct from two uncoupled hydrogen atoms, a key feature of nanocrystal molecules is that they exhibit properties altered from those of the component nanoparticles due to coupling. The nature of the coupling between nanocrystal atoms and its response to vibrations and deformations of the nanocrystal molecule bonds are of particular interest. We discuss synthetic approaches, predicted and observed physical properties, and prospects and challenges toward this new class of materials.
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We report the design of a multicomponent nanoheterostructure aimed at photocatalytic production of hydrogen. The system is composed of a platinum-tipped cadmium sulfide rod with an embedded cadmium selenide seed. In such structures, holes are three-dimensionally confined to the cadmium selenide, whereas the delocalized electrons are transferred to the metal tip. Consequently, the electrons are now separated from the holes over three different components and by a tunable physical length. The seeded rod metal tip samples studied here facilitate efficient long-lasting charge carrier separation and minimize back reaction of intermediates. By tuning the nanorod heterostructure length and the seed size, we were able to significantly increase the activity for hydrogen production compared to that of unseeded rods. This structure was found to be highly active for hydrogen production, with an apparent quantum yield of 20% at 450 nm, and was active under orange light illumination and demonstrated improved stability compared to CdS rods without a CdSe seed.
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As thin films become increasingly popular (for solar cells, LEDs, microelectronics, batteries), quantitative morphological and crystallographic information is needed to predict and optimize the film's electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. This quantification can be obtained quickly and easily with X-ray diffraction using an area detector in two sample geometries. In this paper, we describe a methodology for constructing complete pole figures for thin films with fiber texture (isotropic in-plane orientation). We demonstrate this technique on semicrystalline polymer films, self-assembled nanoparticle semiconductor films, and randomly packed metallic nanoparticle films. This method can be immediately implemented to help understand the relationship between film processing and microstructure, enabling the development of better and less expensive electronic and optoelectronic devices.
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Inorganic nanocomposites have been prepared by assembling colloidal nanocrystals and then replacing the organic ligands with precursors to an inorganic matrix phase. Separate synthesis and processing of the nanocrystal and matrix phases allows complete compositional modularity and retention of the superlattice morphologies for sphere (see scheme; top) or rod (bottom) assemblies.
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Silicon-based photonic devices dissipate substantially less power and provide a significantly greater information bandwidth than electronic components. Unfortunately, large-scale integration of photonic devices has been limited by their large, wavelength-scale size and the weak optical response of Si. Surface plasmons may overcome these two limitations. Combining the high localization of electronic waves with the propagation properties of optical waves, plasmons can achieve extremely small mode wavelengths and large local electromagnetic field intensities. Si-based plasmonics has the potential to not only reduce the size of photonic components to deeply subwavelength scales, but also to enhance the emission, detection, and manipulation of optical signals in Si. In this paper, we discuss recent advances in Si-based plasmonics, including subwavelength interconnects, modulators, and emission sources. From scales spanning slab waveguides to single nanocrystals, we show that Si-based plasmonics can enable optical functionality competitive in size and speed with contemporary electronic components.
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The self-assembly of nanocrystals enables new classes of materials whose properties are controlled by the periodicities of the assembly, as well as by the size, shape, and composition of the nanocrystals. While self-assembly of spherical nanoparticles has advanced significantly in the past decade, assembly of rod-shaped nanocrystals has seen limited progress due to the requirement of orientational order. Here, the parameters relevant to self-assembly are systematically quantified using a combination of diffraction and theoretical modeling; these highlight the importance of kinetics on orientational order. Through drying-mediated self-assembly, we achieve unprecedented control over orientational order (up to 96% vertically oriented rods on 1 cm2 areas) on a wide range of substrates (ITO, PEDOT:PSS, Si3N4). This opens new avenues for nanocrystal-based devices competitive with thin film devices, as problems of granularity can be tackled through crystallographic orientational control over macroscopic areas.
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The behavior of CdSe nanocrystals shocked to stresses of 2-3.75 GPa has been studied. Above 3 GPa a near-complete disappearance of the first excitonic feature and broadening of the low-energy absorption edge were observed, consistent with a wurtzite to rocksalt structural transformation. The transformation pressure is reduced relative to hydrostatic compression in a diamond anvil cell, and the rate increases, attributed to shock induced shear stress along the reaction coordinate. The especially rapid rate observed for a 3.75 GPa shock suggests multiple nucleation events per particle.
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The use of plasmon coupling in metal nanoparticles has shown great potential for the optical characterization of many biological processes. Recently, we have demonstrated the use of "plasmon rulers" to observe conformational changes of single biomolecules in vitro. Plasmon rulers provide robust signals without photobleaching or blinking. Here, we show the first application of plasmon rulers to in vivo studies to observe very long trajectories of single biomolecules in live cells. We present a unique type of plasmon ruler comprised of peptide-linked gold nanoparticle satellites around a core particle, which was used as a probe to optically follow cell-signaling pathways in vivo at the single-molecule level. These "crown nanoparticle plasmon rulers" allowed us to continuously monitor trajectories of caspase-3 activity in live cells for over 2 h, providing sufficient time to observe early-stage caspase-3 activation, which was not possible by conventional ensemble analyses.
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We show that nanocrystals (NCs) with well-established synthetic protocols for high shape and size monodispersity can be used as templates to independently control the NC composition through successive cation exchange reactions. Chemical transformations like cation exchange reactions overcome a limitation in traditional colloidal synthesis, where the NC shape often reflects the inherent symmetry of the underlying lattice. Specifically we show that full or partial interconversion between wurtzite CdS, chalcocite Cu2S, and rock salt PbS NCs can occur while preserving anisotropic shapes unique to the as-synthesized materials. The exchange reactions are driven by disparate solubilites between the two cations by using ligands that preferentially coordinate to either monovalent or divalent transition metals. Starting with CdS, highly anisotropic PbS nanorods are created, which serve as an important material for studying strong two-dimensional quantum confinement, as well as for optoelectronic applications. In NC heterostructures containing segments of different materials, the exchange reaction can be made highly selective for just one of the components of the heterostructure. Thus, through precise control over ion insertion and removal, we can obtain interesting CdS|PbS heterostructure nanorods, where the spatial arrangement of materials is controlled through an intermediate exchange reaction.
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Anion exchange with S was performed on ZnO colloidal nanoparticles. The resulting hollow ZnS nanoparticles are crystal whose shape is dictated by the initial ZnO. Crystallographic and elemental analyses provide insight into the mechanism of the anion exchange.
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Precise control of the spatial organization of nanoscopic building blocks, such as nanoparticles, over multiple length scales is a bottleneck in the 'bottom-up' generation of technologically important materials. Only a few approaches have been shown to achieve nanoparticle assemblies without surface modification. We demonstrate a simple yet versatile approach to produce stimuli-responsive hierarchical assemblies of readily available nanoparticles by combining small molecules and block copolymers. Organization of nanoparticles into one-, two- and three-dimensional arrays with controlled inter-particle separation and ordering is achieved without chemical modification of either the nanoparticles or block copolymers. Nanocomposites responsive to heat and light are demonstrated, where the spatial distribution of the nanoparticles can be varied by exposure to heat or light or changing the local environment. The approach described is applicable to a wide range of nanoparticles and compatible with existing fabrication processes, thereby enabling a non-disruptive approach for the generation of functional devices.
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We have measured the bending elasticity of short double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) chains through small-angle x-ray scattering from solutions of dsDNA-linked dimers of gold nanoparticles. This method, which does not require exertion of external forces or binding to a substrate, reports on the equilibrium distribution of bending fluctuations, not just an average value (as in ensemble fluorescence resonance energy transfer) or an extreme value (as in cyclization), and in principle provides a more robust data set for assessing the suitability of theoretical models. Our experimental results for dsDNA comprising 42-94 basepairs are consistent with a simple wormlike chain model of dsDNA elasticity, whose behavior we have determined from Monte Carlo simulations that explicitly represent nanoparticles and their alkane tethers. A persistence length of 50 nm (150 basepairs) gave a favorable comparison, consistent with the results of single-molecule force-extension experiments on much longer dsDNA chains, but in contrast to recent suggestions of enhanced flexibility at these length scales.
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We report a 100000-fold increase in the conductance of individual CdSe nanorods when they are electrically contacted via direct solution phase growth of Au tips on the nanorod ends. Ensemble UV-vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies indicate this enhancement does not result from alloying of the nanorod. Rather, low temperature tunneling and high temperature (250-400 K) thermionic emission across the junction at the Au contact reveal a 75% lower interface barrier to conduction compared to a control sample. We correlate this barrier lowering with the electronic structure at the Au-CdSe interface. Our results emphasize the importance of a nanocrystal surface structure for robust device performance and the advantage of this contact method.
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The photoluminescence of CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots, nanorods, and tetrapods is investigated as a function of applied hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic pressure. The optoelectronic properties of all three nanocrystal morphologies are affected by strain. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the unique morphology of seeded tetrapods is highly sensitive to non-isotropic stress environments. Seeded tetrapods can thereby serve as an optical strain gauge, capable of measuring forces on the order of nanonewtons. We anticipate that a nanocrystal strain gauge with optical readout will be useful for applications including sensitive optomechanical devices and biological force investigations.
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The formation of hollow vs solid particles by means of the oxidation reaction of solid metal particles depends on the differential self-diffusivities of the reactants through the composite shell, the reaction probabilities at each interface, and the concentration and diffusivity of the element in solution. By means of a kinetic model of the oxidation process, we determine the phase diagrams for the geometry of the oxidized particles and propose four shell growth regimes. We experimentally illustrate the different growth scenarios by changing the conditions of oxidation of cadmium spherical crystals using different chalcogen precursors.
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No abstract available.
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Nanostructures constructed from metal and semiconductor nanocrystals conjugated to and organized by DNA are an emerging class of materials with collective optical properties. We created discrete pyramids of DNA with gold nanocrystals at the tips. By taking small-angle X-ray scattering measurments from solutions of these pyramids, we confirmed that this pyramidal geometry creates structures which are more rigid in solution than linear DNA. We then took advantage of the tetrahedral symmetry to demonstrate construction of chiral nanostructures.
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We have directly observed motion of inorganic nanoparticles during fluid evaporation using a transmission electron microscope. Tracking real-time diffusion of both spherical (5-15 nm) and rod-shaped (5 × 10 nm) gold nanocrystals in a thin film of water-15% glycerol reveals complex movements, such as rolling motions coupled to large-step movements and macroscopic violations of the Stokes-Einstein relation for diffusion. As drying patches form during the final stages of evaporation, particle motion is dominated by the nearby retracting liquid front.
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Understanding of colloidal nanocrystal growth mechanisms is essential for the syntheses of nanocrystals with desired physical properties. The classical model for the growth of monodisperse nanocrystals assumes a discrete nucleation stage followed by growth via monomer attachment, but has overlooked particle-particle interactions. Recent studies have suggested that interactions between particles play an important role. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, we show that platinum nanocrystals can grow either by monomer attachment from solution or by particle coalescence. Through the combination of these two processes, an initially broad size distribution can spontaneously narrow into a nearly monodisperse distribution. We suggest that colloidal nanocrystals take different pathways of growth based on their size- and morphology-dependent internal energies.
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The influence of the metal cluster size and the support on the reactivity of gold-based catalysts has been studied in the CO oxidation reaction. To overcome the structural complexity of the supported catalysts, gold nanoparticles synthesized from colloidal chemistry with precisely controlled size have been used. Those particles were supported over SiO2 and TiO2 and their catalytic activity measured in a flow reactor. The reaction rate was dependent on the particle size and on the support, suggesting two reaction pathways in the CO oxidation reaction. In parallel, ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (APPS) has been performed under reaction conditions using bidimensional model catalysts prepared by supporting Au nanoparticles over planar polycrystalline SiO2 and TiO2 thin films. The nanoparticles were transferred from a water surface where they have been dispersed by means of the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. In this way, the catalytically active surface was characterized under real reaction conditions, revealing that during CO oxidation gold remains in the metallic state.
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The partial transformation of ionic nanocrystals through cation exchange has been used to synthesize nanocrystal heterostructures. We demonstrate that the selectivity for cation exchange to take place at different facets of the nanocrystal plays an important role in determining the resulting morphology of the binary heterostructure. In the case of copper(I) (Cu+) cation exchange in cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanorods, the reaction starts preferentially at the ends of the nanorods such that copper sulfide (Cu2S) grows inward from either end. The resulting morphology is very different from the striped pattern obtained in our previous studies of silver(I) (Ag+) exchange in CdS nanorods where nonselective nucleation of silver sulfide (Ag2S) occurs (Robinson, R. D.; Sadtler, B.; Demchenko, D. O.; Erdonmez, C. K.; Wang, L.-W.; Alivisatos, A. P. Science 2007, 317, 355-358). From interface formation energies calculated for several models of epitaxial connections between CdS and Cu2S or Ag2S, we infer the relative stability of each interface during the nucleation and growth of Cu2S or Ag2S within the CdS nanorods. The epitaxial attachments of Cu2S to the end facets of CdS nanorods minimize the formation energy, making these interfaces stable throughout the exchange reaction. Additionally, as the two end facets of wurtzite CdS nanorods are crystallographically nonequivalent, asymmetric heterostructures can be produced.
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We report solar cells based on highly confined nanocrystals of the ternary compound PbSxSe1-x. Crystalline, monodisperse alloyed nanocrystals are obtained using a one-pot, hot injection reaction. Rutherford back scattering and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy suggest that the S and Se anions are uniformly distributed in the alloy nanoparticles. Photovoltaic devices made using ternary nanoparticles are more efficient than either pure PbS or pure PbSe based nanocrystal devices.
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In the present work, we investigate the magnetic properties of ferrimagnetic and noninteracting maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) hollow nanoparticles obtained by the Kirkendall effect. From the experimental characterization of their magnetic behavior, we find that polycrystalline hollow maghemite nanoparticles exhibit low blocked-to-superparamagnetic transition temperatures, small magnetic moments, significant coercivities and irreversibility fields, and no magnetic saturation on external magnetic fields up to 5 T. These results are interpreted in terms of the microstructural parameters characterizing the maghemite shells by means of atomistic Monte Carlo simulations of an individual spherical shell. The model comprises strongly interacting crystallographic domains arranged in a spherical shell with random orientations and anisotropy axis. The Monte Carlo simulation allows discernment between the influence of the polycrystalline structure and its hollow geometry, while revealing the magnetic domain arrangement in the different temperature regimes.
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Solar photovoltaics have great promise for a low-carbon future but remain expensive relative to other technologies. Greatly increased penetration of photovoltaics into global energy markets requires an expansion in attention from designs of high-performance to those that can deliver significantly lower cost per kilowatt-hour. To evaluate a new set of technical and economic performance targets, we examine material extraction costs and supply constraints for 23 promising semiconducting materials. Twelve composite materials systems were found to have the capacity to meet or exceed the annual worldwide electricity consumption of 17?000 TWh, of which nine have the potential for a significant cost reduction over crystalline silicon. We identify a large material extraction cost (cents/watt) gap between leading thin film materials and a number of unconventional solar cell candidates including FeS2, CuO, and Zn3P2. We find that devices performing below 10% power conversion efficiencies deliver the same lifetime energy output as those above 20% when a 3/4 material reduction is achieved. Here, we develop a roadmap emphasizing low-cost alternatives that could become a dominant new approach for photovoltaics research and deployment.
Go to article - Alivisatos, A. P.; Hullar, T. E., How does solar power work? Scientific American 2009, 300 (1), 108.Chemist Paul Alivisatos explains how to generate electricity from sunlight
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Pt nanoparticles are deposited photochemically on the surfaces of colloidal CdS nanorods and CdSe/CdS nanoheterostructures. While Pt deposits at varying positions along CdS nanorods, the deposition on CdSe/CdS occurs preferentially near the CdSe core.
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The mechanism of formation of recently fabricated CdS-Ag2S nanorod superlattices is considered and their elastic properties are predicted theoretically based on experimental structural data. We consider different possible mechanisms for the spontaneous ordering observed in these 1D nanostructures, such as diffusion-limited growth and ordering due to epitaxial strain. A simplified model suggests that diffusion-limited growth partially contributes to the observed ordering, but cannot account for the full extent of the ordering alone. The elastic properties of bulk Ag2S are predicted using a first principles method and are fed into a classical valence force field (VFF) model of the nanostructure. The VFF results show significant repulsion between Ag2S segments, strongly suggesting that the interplay between the chemical interface energy and strain due to the lattice mismatch between the two materials drives the spontaneous pattern formation.
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Gold/iron oxide core/hollow-shell composite nanoparticles (NPs) with controllable shell thicknesses are synthesized (see figure). The gap between the Au core and iron oxide shell is formed as a result of different outward and inward diffusion rates of Fe and O, respectively. Control over interparticle interactions allows encapsulation of several Au cores inside one iron oxide shell. Superparamagnetic measurements of the NPs at room temperature demonstrate the plasmon resonance at 565 nm.
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Nanocrystalline materials offer very high strength but are typically limited in their strain to failure, and efforts to improve deformability in these materials are usually found to be at the expense of strength. Using a combination of quantitative in situ compression in a transmission electron microscope and finite-element analysis, we show that the mechanical properties of nanoparticles can be directly measured and interpreted on an individual basis. We find that nanocrystalline CdS synthesized into a spherical shell geometry is capable of withstanding extreme stresses (approaching the ideal shear strength of CdS). This unusual strength enables the spherical shells to exhibit considerable deformation to failure (up to 20% of the sphere's diameter). By taking into account the structural hierarchy intrinsic to novel nanocrystalline materials such as this, we show it is possible to achieve and characterize the ultrahigh stresses and strains that exist within a single nanoparticle during deformation.
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To ensure inheritance by daughter cells, many low-copy number bacterial plasmids, including the R1 drug-resistance plasmid, encode their own DNA segregation systems. The par operon of plasmid R1 directs construction of a simple spindle structure that converts free energy of polymerization of an actin-like protein, ParM, into work required to move sister plasmids to opposite poles of rod-shaped cells. The structures of individual components have been solved, but little is known about the ultrastructure of the R1 spindle. To determine the number of ParM filaments in a minimal R1 spindle, we used DNA-gold nanocrystal conjugates as mimics of the R1 plasmid. We found that each end of a single polar ParM filament binds to a single ParR/parC-gold complex, consistent with the idea that ParM filaments bind in the hollow core of the ParR/parC ring complex. Our results further suggest that multifilament spindles observed in vivo are associated with clusters of plasmids segregating as a unit.
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The surface chemistry of cadmium selenide nanocrystals, prepared from tri-n-octylphosphine selenide and cadmium octadecylphosphonate in tri-n-octylphosphine oxide, was studied with 1H and {1H}31P NMR spectroscopy as well as ESI-MS and XPS. The identity of the surface ligands was inferred from reaction of nanocrystals with Me3Si-X (X = -S-SiMe3, -Se-SiMe3, -Cl and -S-(CH2CH2O)4OCH3)) and unambiguous assignment of the organic byproducts, O,O'-bis(trimethylsilyl)octadecylphosphonic acid ester and O,O'-bis(trimethylsilyl)ocatdecylphosphonic acid anhydride ester. Nanocrystals isolated from these reactions have undergone exchange of the octadecylphosphonate ligands for -X as was shown by 1H NMR (X = -S-(CH2CH2O)4OCH3)) and XPS (X = -Cl). Addition of free thiols to as prepared nanocrystals results in binding of the thiol to the particle surface and quenching of the nanocrystal fluorescence. Isolation of the thiol-ligated nanocrystals shows this chemisorption proceeds without displacement of the octadecylphosphonate ligands, suggesting the presence of unoccupied Lewis-acidic sites on the particle surface. In the presence of added triethylamine, however, the octadecylphosphonate ligands are readily displaced from the particle surface as was shown with 1H and {1H}31P NMR. These results, in conjunction with previous literature reports, indicate that as-prepared nanocrystal surfaces are terminated by X-type binding of octadecylphosphonate moieties to a layer of excess cadmium ions.
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We present experimental evidence that silver nanoparticles in the size range of 5-10 nm undergo a reversible structural transformation under hydrostatic pressures up to 10 GPa. We have used x-ray diffraction with a synchrotron light source to investigate pressure-dependent and size-dependent trends in the crystal structure of silver nanoparticles in a hydrostatic medium compressed in a diamond-anvil cell. Results suggest a reversible linear pressure-dependent rhombohedral distortion which has not been previously observed in bulk silver. We propose a mechanism for this transition that considers the bond-length distribution in idealized multiply twinned icosahedral particles. To further support this hypothesis, we also show that similar measurements of single-crystal platinum nanoparticles reveal no such distortions.
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Discrete DNA-gold nanoparticle conjugates with DNA lengths as short as 15 bases for both 5 and 20 nm gold particles have been purified by anion-exchange HPLC. Conjugates comprising short DNA (<40 bases) and large gold particles (≥ 20 nm) are difficult to purify by other means and are potential substrates for plasmon coupling experiments. Conjugate purity is demonstrated by hybridizing complementary conjugates to form discrete structures, which are visualized by TEM.
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Enzymatic ligation of discrete nanoparticle-DNA conjugates creates nanoparticle dimer and trimer structures in which the nanoparticles are linked by single-stranded DNA, rather than by double-stranded DNA as in previous experiments. Ligation was verified by agarose gel and small-angle X-ray scattering. This capability was utilized in two ways: first, to create a new class of multiparticle building blocks for nanoscale self-assembly and, second, to develop a system that can amplify a population of discrete nanoparticle assemblies.
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We present the rational synthesis of colloidal copper(I) sulfide nanocrystals and demonstrate their application as an active light absorbing component in combination with CdS nanorods to make a solution-processed solar cell with 1.6% power conversion efficiency on both conventional glass substrates and flexible plastic substrates with stability over a 4 month testing period.
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Gold-DNA conjugates were investigated in detail by a comprehensive gel electrophoresis study based on 1200 gels. A controlled number of single-stranded DNA of different length was attached specifically via thiol-Au bonds to phosphine-stabilized colloidal gold nanoparticles. Alternatively, the surface of the gold particles was saturated with single stranded DNA of different length either specifically via thiol-Au bonds or by nonspecific adsorption. From the experimentally determined electrophoretic mobilities, estimates for the effective diameters of the gold-DNA conjugates were derived by applying two different data treatment approaches. The first method is based on making a calibration curve for the relation between effective diameters and mobilities with gold nanoparticles of known diameter. The second method is based on Ferguson analysis which uses gold nanoparticles of known diameter as reference database. Our study shows that effective diameters derived from gel electrophoresis measurements are affected with a high error bar as the determined values strongly depend on the method of evaluation, though relative changes in size upon binding of molecules can be detected with high precision. Furthermore, in this study, the specific attachment of DNA via gold-thiol bonds to Au nanoparticles is compared to nonspecific adsorption of DNA. Also, the maximum number of DNA molecules that can be bound per particle was determined.
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We report the results of charge transport studies on single CdTe nanocrystals contacted via evaporated Pd electrodes. Device charging energy, Ec, monitored as a function of electrode separation drops suddenly at separations below ~55 nm. This drop can be explained by chemical changes induced by the metal electrodes. This explanation is corroborated by ensemble X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of CdTe films as well as single particle measurements by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-rays. Similar to robust optical behavior obtained when nanocrystals are coated with a protective shell, we find that a protective SiO2 layer deposited between the nanocrystal and the electrode prevents interface reactions and an associated drop in Ec,max. This observation of interface reactivity and its effect on electrical properties has important implications for the integration of nanocrystals into conventional fabrication techniques and may enable novel nanomaterials.
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This communication reports the development of a TiO2-streptavidin nanoconjugate as a new biological label for X-ray bio-imaging applications; this new probe, used in conjunction with the nanogold probe, will make it possible to obtain quantitative, high-resolution information about the location of proteins using X-ray microscopy.
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Different types of Binary Nanoparticle Superlattices (BNSLs) have been self-assembled from monodisperse 8.7 nm CdSe and 5.5 nm Au nanocrystals. Fluorescence spectroscopy studies of AlB2-type BNSL of CdSe and Au nanocrystals revealed considerably decreased fluorescence and a shortened fluorescence lifetime of the CdSe NCs in BNSLs compared to the CdSe-only sample.
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We investigate the evolution of structures that result when spherical Cd nanoparticles of a few hundred nanometers in diameter react with dissolved molecular sulfur species in solution to form hollow CdS. Over a wide range of temperatures and concentrations, we find that rapid Cd diffusion through the growing CdS shell localizes the reaction front at the outermost CdS/S interface, leading to hollow particles when all the Cd is consumed. When we examine partially reacted particles, we find that this system differs significantly from others in which the nanoscale Kirkendall effect has been used to create hollow particles. In previously reported systems, partial reaction creates a hollow particle with a spherically symmetric metal core connected to the outer shell by filaments. In contrast, here we obtain a lower symmetry structure, in which the unreacted metal core and the coalesced vacancies separate into two distinct spherical caps, minimizing the metal/void interface. This pattern of void coalescence is likely to occur in situations where the metal/vacancy self-diffusivities in the core are greater than the diffusivity of the cations through the shell.
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We have demonstrated that seeded growth of nanocrystals offers a convenient way to design nanoheterostructures with complex shapes and morphologies by changing the crystalline structure of the seed. By using CdSe nanocrystals with wurtzite and zinc blende structure as seeds for growth of CdS nanorods, we synthesized CdSe/CdS heterostructure nanorods and nanotetrapods, respectively. Both of these structures showed excellent luminescent properties, combining high photoluminescence efficiency (≈ 80 and ≈ 50% for nanorods and nanotetrapods, correspondingly), giant extinction coefficients (≈ 2 × 107 and ≈ 1.5 × 108 M-1 cm-1 at 350 nm for nanorods and nanotetrapods, correspondingly), and efficient energy transfer from the CdS arms into the emitting CdSe core.
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Three component nanoparticle superlattices that are isostructural with binary ionic and intermetallic compounds are obtained by co-crystallization of multi-component nanoparticles (see figure). Self-assembly of multicomponent nanoparticles greatly extends the combinations of possible materials types which can be intermixed on the nanoscale.
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Lattice-mismatch strains are widely known to control nanoscale pattern formation in heteroepitaxy, but such effects have not been exploited in colloidal nanocrystal growth. We demonstrate a colloidal route to synthesizing CdS-Ag2S nanorod superlattices through partial cation exchange. Strain induces the spontaneous formation of periodic structures. Ab initio calculations of the interfacial energy and modeling of strain energies show that these forces drive the self-organization of the superlattices. The nanorod superlattices exhibit high stability against ripening and phase mixing. These materials are tunable near-infrared emitters with potential applications as nanometer-scale optoelectronic devices.
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Although ZnO and ZnS are abundant, stable, and environmentally benign, their band gap energies (3.44, 3.72 eV, respectively) are too large for optimal photovoltaic efficiency. By using band-corrected pseudopotential density functional theory calculations, we study how the band gap, optical absorption, and carrier localization can be controlled by forming quantum-well-like and nanowire-based heterostructures of ZnO/ZnS and ZnO/ZnTe. In the case of ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanowires, which can be synthesized using existing methods, we obtain a band gap of 2.07 eV, which corresponds to a Shockley-Quiesser efficiency limit of 23%. On the basis of these nanowire results, we propose that ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanowires can be used as photovoltaic devices with organic polymer semiconductors as p-channel contacts.
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Pairs of Au nanoparticles have recently been proposed as "plasmon rulers" based on the dependence of their light scattering on the interparticle distance. Preliminary work has suggested that plasmon rulers can be used to measure and monitor dynamic distance changes over the 1- to 100-nm length scale in biology. Here, we substantiate that plasmon rulers can be used to measure dynamical biophysical processes by applying the ruler to a system that has been investigated extensively by using ensemble kinetic measurements: the cleavage of DNA by the restriction enzyme EcoRV. Temporal resolutions of up to 240 Hz were obtained, and the end-to-end extension of up to 1,000 individual dsDNA enzyme substrates could be simultaneously monitored for hours. The kinetic parameters extracted from our single-molecule cleavage trajectories agree well with values obtained in bulk through other methods and confirm well known features of the cleavage process, such as DNA bending before cleavage. Previously unreported dynamical information is revealed as well, for instance, the degree of softening of the DNA just before cleavage. The unlimited lifetime, high temporal resolution, and high signal/noise ratio make the plasmon ruler a unique tool for studying macromolecular assemblies and conformational changes at the single-molecule level.
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The molecular mechanism of precursor evolution in the synthesis of colloidal group II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals was studied using 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Tri-n-butylphosphine chalcogenides (TBPE; E = S, Se, Te) react with an oleic acid complex of cadmium or zinc (M-OA; M = Zn, Cd) in a noncoordinating solvent (octadecene (ODE), n-nonane-d20, or n-decane-d22), affording ME nanocrystals, tri-n-butylphosphine oxide (TBPO), and oleic acid anhydride ((OA)2O). Likewise, the reaction between trialkylphosphine selenide and cadmium n-octadecylphosphonic acid complex (Cd-ODPA) in tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) produces CdSe nanocrystals, trialkylphosphine oxide, and anhydrides of n-octadecylphosphonic acid. The disappearance of tri-n-octylphosphine selenide in the presence of Cd-OA and Cd-ODPA can be fit to a single-exponential decay (kobs = (1.30 ± 0.08) × 10-3 s-1, Cd-ODPA, 260 °C, and kobs = (1.51 ± 0.04) × 10-3 s-1, Cd-OA, 117 °C). The reaction approaches completion at 70-80% conversion of TOPSe under anhydrous conditions and 100% conversion in the presence of added water. Activation parameters for the reaction between TBPSe and Cd-OA in n-nonane-d20 were determined from the temperature dependence of the TBPSe decay over the range of 358-400 K (ΔH‡ = 62.0 ± 2.8 kJ mol-1, ΔS‡ = -145 ± 8 J mol-1 K-1). A reaction mechanism is proposed where trialkylphsophine chalcogenides deoxygenate the oleic acid or phosphonic acid surfactant to generate trialkylphosphine oxide and oleic or phosphonic acid anhydride products. Results from kinetics experiments suggest that cleavage of the phosphorus chalcogenide double bond (TOP::E) proceeds by the nucleophilic attack of phosphonate or oleate on a (TOP::E)-M complex, generating the initial M-E bond.
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The electronic structure of cobalt nanocrystals suspended in liquid as a function of size has been investigated using in situ X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy. A sharp absorption peak associated with the ligand molecules is found that increases in intensity upon reducing the nanocrystal size. X-ray Raman features due to d-d and to charge-transfer excitations of ligand molecules are identified. The study reveals the local symmetry of the surface of ε-Co phase nanocrystals, which originates from a dynamic interaction between Co nanocrystals and surfactant + solvent molecules.
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A solution-phase synthesis of monodisperse SnTe nanocrystals via the reaction of bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amino]tin(II) with trioctylphosphine telluride in oleylamine is demonstrated. The obtained SnTe nanocrystals are single-crystalline particles with a cubic rock-salt crystal structure. The size of the SnTe nanocrystals can be precisely tuned in the range of 4.5-15 nm by tailoring the reaction temperature and stabilizer concentration. These SnTe nanocrystals exhibit size-tunable band gap energies of 0.38-0.8 eV. The narrow size-distributions allow assembling SnTe nanocrystals into 3-dimensional superlattices.
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FTIR spectroscopy has been used to monitor the transport of CO to the Pt cores of Pt@CoO nanoparticles forming CO/Pt species. It was found that external Pt sites are not present on the outer surfaces of the 10 nm diameter nanostructures and that CO transports to Pt adsorption sites by an activated surface diffusion process through the CoO shells surrounding 2 nm diameter Pt cores. The CO transport process is not due to gas-phase transport below 300 K. The weakly bound adsorbed CO/CoO species responsible for transport was directly observed at 2147 cm-1 during transport through the CoO shells.
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In recent years, the search to develop large-area solar cells at low cost has led to research on photovoltaic (PV) systems based on nanocomposites containing conjugated polymers. These composite films can be synthesized and processed at lower costs and with greater versatility than the solid state inorganic semiconductors that comprise today's solar cells. However, the best nanocomposite solar cells are based on a complex architecture, consisting of a fine blend of interpenetrating and percolating donor and acceptor materials. Cell performance is strongly dependent on blend morphology, and solution-based fabrication techniques often result in uncontrolled and irreproducible blends, whose composite morphologies are difficult to characterize accurately. Here we incorporate three-dimensional hyperbranched colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals in solution-processed hybrid organic-inorganic solar cells, yielding reproducible and controlled nanoscale morphology.
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In this paper, we report the development of rod-shaped semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum rods) as fluorescent biological labels. Water-soluble biocompatible quantum rods have been prepared by surface silanization and applied for nonspecific cell tracking as well as specific cellular targeting. Quantum rods are brighter single molecule probes as compared to quantum dots. They have many potential applications as biological labels in situations where their properties offer advantages over quantum dots.
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The mechanical and electrical properties of CdTe tetrapod-shaped nanocrystals have been studied with atomic force microscopy. Tapping mode images of tetrapods deposited on silicon wafers revealed that they contact the surface with three of its arms. The length of these arms was found to be 130± 10 nm. A large fraction of the tetrapods had a shortened vertical arm as a result of fracture during sample preparation. Fracture also occurs when the applied load is a few nanonewtons. Compression experiments with the atomic force microscope tip indicate that tetrapods with the shortened vertical arm deform elastically when the applied force was less than 50 nN. Above 90 nN additional fracture events occurred that further shortened the vertical arm. Loads above 130 nN produced irreversible damage to the other arms as well. Current-voltage characteristics of tetrapods deposited on gold revealed a semiconducting behavior with a current gap of ~ 2 eV at low loads (<50 nN) and a narrowing to about 1 eV at loads between 60 and 110 nN. Atomistic force field calculations of the deformation suggest that the ends of the tetrapod arms are stuck during compression so that the deformations are due to bending modes. Empirical pseudopotential calculation of the electron states indicates that the reduction of the current gap is due to electrostatic effects, rather than strain deformation effects inside the tetrapod.
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We describe the use of a flow-focusing microfluidic reactor to measure the kinetics of the CdSe-to-Ag2Se nanocrystal cation exchange reaction using micro-X-ray absorption spectroscopy (ΜXAS). The small microreactor dimensions facilitate the millisecond mixing of CdSe nanocrystals and Ag+ reactant solutions, and the transposition of the reaction time onto spatial coordinates enables the in situ observation of the millisecond reaction using ΜXAS. Selenium K-edge absorption spectra show the progression of CdSe nanocrystals to Ag2Se over the course of 100 ms without the presence of long-lived intermediates. These results, along with supporting stopped-flow absorption experiments, suggest that this nanocrystal cation exchange reaction is highly efficient and provide insight into how the reaction progresses in individual particles. This experiment illustrates the value and potential of in situ microfluidic X-ray synchrotron techniques for detailed studies of the millisecond structural transformations of nanoparticles and other solution-phase reactions in which diffusive mixing initiates changes in local bond structures or oxidation states.
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In the present work, we analyze the geometry and composition of the nanostructures obtained from the oxidation of iron nanoparticles. The initial oxidation of iron takes place by outward diffusion of cations through the growing oxide shell. This net material flow is balanced by an opposite flow of vacancies, which coalesce at the metal/oxide interface. Thus, the partial oxidation of colloidal iron nanoparticles leads to the formation of core-void-shell nanostructures. Furthermore, the complete oxidation of iron nanoparticles in the 3-8 nm size range leads to the formation of hollow iron oxide nanoparticles. We analyze the size and temperature range in which vacancy coalescence during oxidation of amine-stabilized iron nanoparticles takes place. Maghemite is the crystallographic structure obtained from the complete oxidation of iron nanoparticles under our synthetic conditions.
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We report orientation-specific, surface-sensitive structural characterization of colloidal CdSe nanorods with extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and ab initio density functional theory calculations. Our measurements of crystallographically aligned CdSe nanorods show that they have reconstructed Cd-rich surfaces. They exhibit orientation-dependent changes in interatomic distances which are qualitatively reproduced by our calculations. These calculations reveal that the measured interatomic distance anisotropy originates from the nanorod surface.
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The bottom-up spatial organization of potential nanoelectronic components is a key intermediate step in the development of molecular electronics. We describe robust three-space-spanning DNA motifs that are used to organize nanoparticles in two dimensions. One strand of the motif ends in a gold nanoparticle; only one DNA strand is attached to the particle. By using two of the directions of the motif to produce a two-dimensional crystalline array, one direction is free to bind gold nanoparticles. Identical motifs, tailed in different sticky ends, enable the two-dimensional periodic ordering of 5 and 10 nm diameter gold nanoparticles.
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Quantum dots (Qdots) are now used extensively for labeling in biomedical research, and this use is predicted to grow because of their many advantages over alternative labeling methods. Uncoated Qdots made of core/shell CdSe/ZnS are toxic to cells because of the release of Cd2+ ions into the cellular environment. This problem has been partially overcome by coating Qdots with polymers, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), or other inert molecules. The most promising coating to date, for reducing toxicity, appears to be PEG. When PEG-coated silanized Qdots (PEG-silane-Qdots) are used to treat cells, toxicity is not observed, even at dosages above 10-20 nM, a concentration inducing death when cells are treated with polymer or mercaptoacid coated Qdots. Because of the importance of Qdots in current and future biomedical and clinical applications, we believe it is essential to more completely understand and verify this negative global response from cells treated with PEG-silane-Qdots. Consequently, we examined the molecular and cellular response of cells treated with two different dosages of PEG-silane-Qdots. Human fibroblasts were exposed to 8 and 80 nM of these Qdots, and both phenotypic as well as whole genome expression measurements were made. PEG-silane-Qdots did not induce any statistically significant cell cycle changes and minimal apoptosis/necrosis in lung fibroblasts (IMR-90) as measured by high content image analysis, regardless of the treatment dosage. A slight increase in apoptosis/necrosis was observed in treated human skin fibroblasts (HSF-42) at both the low and the high dosages. We performed genome-wide expression array analysis of HSF-42 exposed to doses 8 and 80 nM to link the global cell response to a molecular and genetic phenotype. We used a gene array containing ~22,000 total probe sets, containing 18,400 probe sets from known genes. Only ~50 genes (~0.2% of all the genes tested) exhibited a statistically significant change in expression level of greater than 2-fold. Genes activated in treated cells included those involved in carbohydrate binding, intracellular vesicle formation, and cellular response to stress. Conversely, PEG-silane-Qdots induce a down-regulation of genes involved in controlling the M-phase progression of mitosis, spindle formation, and cytokinesis. Promoter analysis of these results reveals that expression changes may be attributed to the down-regulation of FOXM and BHLB2 transcription factors. Remarkably, PEG-silane-Qdots, unlike carbon nanotubes, do not activate genes indicative of a strong immune and inflammatory response or heavy-metal-related toxicity. The experimental evidence shows that CdSe/ZnS Qdots, if appropriately protected, induce negligible toxicity to the model cell system studied here, even when exposed to high dosages. This study indicates that PEG-coated silanized Qdots pose minimal impact to cells and are a very promising alternative to uncoated Qdots.
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The photoluminescence dynamics of colloidal CdSe/ZnS/streptavidin quantum dots were studied using time-resolved single-molecule spectroscopy. Statistical tests of the photon-counting data suggested that the simple "on/off" discrete state model is inconsistent with experimental results. Instead, a continuous emission state distribution model was found to be more appropriate. Autocorrelation analysis of lifetime and intensity fluctuations showed a nonlinear correlation between them. These results were consistent with the model that charged quantum dots were also emissive, and that time-dependent charge migration gave rise to the observed photoluminescence dynamics.
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Formation of cobalt sulfide hollow nanocrystals through a mechanism similar to the Kirkendall Effect has been investigated in detail. It is found that performing the reaction at >120 °C leads to fast formation of a single void inside each shell, whereas at room temperature multiple voids are formed within each shell, which can be attributed to strongly temperature-dependent diffusivities for vacancies. The void formation process is dominated by outward diffusion of cobalt cations; still, the occurrence of significant inward transport of sulfur anions can be inferred as the final voids are smaller in diameter than the original cobalt nanocrystals. Comparison of volume distributions for initial and final nanostructures indicates excess apparent volume in shells, implying significant porosity and/or a defective structure. Indirect evidence for fracture of shells during growth at lower temperatures was observed in shell-size statistics and transmission electron microscopy images of as-grown shells. An idealized model of the diffusional process imposes two minimal requirements on material parameters for shell growth to be obtainable within a specific synthetic system.
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We demonstrate that performing a replacement reaction on single crystalline Ag nanospheres of 10 nm in diameter in an organic solvent produces hollow Au nanocrystals with an octahedral shape. Different from those Au shells made by starting with Ag particles about 1 order of magnitude larger, which largely reproduce that of the sacrificial Ag counterparts, the hollow nanocrystals obtained in this work show significant changes in the external morphology from the spherical Ag precursors. This evolution of a faceted external morphology during chemical transformation is made possible by the enhanced role of surface effects in our smaller nanocrystals. The competition between the Au atom deposition and Ag atom dissolution on various nanocrystal surfaces is believed to determine the final octahedral shape of the hollow Au nanocrystals. Simultaneous achievement of surface-mediated shape control and a hollow morphology in a one-pot, single-step synthetic procedure in this study promises an avenue to finer tuning of particle morphology, and thus physical properties such as surface plasmon resonance.
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Bi2S3 nanostructures with a sheaflike morphology are obtained via reaction of bismuth acetate-oleic acid complex with elemental sulfur in 1-octadecence. These structures may form by the splitting crystal growth mechanism, which is known to account for the morphology some mineral crystals assume in nature. By control of the synthetic parameters, different shapes are obtained, analogous to those which have been observed to occur by crystal splitting in minerals. These new and complex Bi2S3 nanostructures are characterized by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and electron and X-ray diffraction.
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The photo-induced enhancement of second harmonic generation and the effect of nanocrystal shape and pump intensity on confined acoustic phonons in semiconductor nanocrystals have been investigated with time-resolved scattering and absorption measurements. The second harmonic signal showed a sublinear increase of the second-order susceptibility with respect to the pump pulse energy, indicating a reduction of the effective one-electron second-order nonlinearity with increasing electron-hole density in the nanocrystals. The coherent acoustic phonons in spherical and rod-shaped semiconductor nanocrystals were detected in a time-resolved absorption measurement. Both nanocrystal morphologies exhibited oscillatory modulation of the absorption cross section, the frequency of which corresponded to their coherent radial breathing modes. The amplitude of the oscillation also increased with the level of photoexcitation, suggesting an increase in the amplitude of the lattice displacement as well.
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We observe the assembly of CdS nanorod superlattices by the combination of a DC electric field and solvent evaporation. In each electric-field (1 V/Μm) assisted assembly, CdS nanorods (5 nm × 30 nm) suspended initially in toluene were observed to align perpendicular to the substrate. Azimuthal alignment along the nanorod crystal faces and the presence of stacking faults indicate that both 2D and 3D assemblies were formed by a process of controlled super crystal growth.
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A high pressure diffraction study, from ambient to 50 GPa, has been carried out on nanocrystalline TiN/amorphous BN nanocomposite materials prepared by plasma chemical vapor deposition. The compressibilities of these materials were found not to be significantly different from TiN. A large amount of biaxial and isotropic strain was found to build up on pressurization which continued to exist after depressurization and annealing indicating a permanent deformation under high pressure. This permanent deformation is located in the grain boundaries and is reduced by the presence of amorphous BN.
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Interactions between nucleic acids and proteins are essential to genetic information processing. The detection of size changes in nucleic acids is the key to mapping such interactions, and usually requires substrates with fluorescent, electrochemical or radioactive labels. Recently, methods have been developed to tether DNA to highly water-soluble Au nanoparticles, and nanoparticle pairs linked by DNA have been used to measure nanoscale distances9. Here we demonstrate a molecular ruler in which double-stranded DNA is attached to a Au nanoparticle. The change in plasmon resonance wavelength of individual Au-DNA conjugates depends on the length of the DNA and can be measured with subnanometre axial resolution. An average wavelength shift of approximately 1.24 nm is observed per DNA base pair. This system allows for a label-free, quantitative, real-time measurement of nuclease activity and also serves as a new DNA footprinting platform, which can accurately detect and map the specific binding of a protein to DNA.
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This work presents a technique to create ordered and easily characterized hybrid nanocrystal-polymer composites by sequential deposition of tetrapod-shaped cadmium telluride (CdTe) nanocrystals and poly(3-hexlythiophene). With controlled fabrication and composite morphology, these devices offer several advantages over traditional co-deposited hybrid cells and provide a model system for detailed investigation into the operation of bulk-heterojunction cells.
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A comprehensive study of iron oxide nanocrystal growth through non-hydrolitic, surfactant-mediated thermal reaction of iron pentacarbonyl and an oxidizer has been conducted, which includes size control, anisotropic shape evolution, and crystallographic phase transition of monodisperse iron oxide colloidal nanocrystals. The reaction was monitored via in situ UV-vis spectroscopy, taking advantage of the color change accompanying the iron oxide colloid formation, allowing measurement of the induction time for nucleation. Features of the synthesis such as the size control and reproducibility are related to the occurrence of the observed delayed nucleation process. As a separate source of iron and oxygen is adopted, phase control could also be achieved by sequential injections of oxidizer.
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Colloidal nanocrystals are solution-grown, nanometre-sized, inorganic particles that are stabilized by a layer of surfactants attached to their surface. The inorganic cores possess useful properties that are controlled by their composition, size and shape, and the surfactant coating ensures that these structures are easy to fabricate and process further into more complex structures. This combination of features makes colloidal nanocrystals attractive and promising building blocks for advanced materials and devices. Chemists are achieving ever more exquisite control over the composition, size, shape, crystal structure and surface properties of nanocrystals, thus setting the stage for fully exploiting the potential of these remarkable materials.
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Förster Resonance Energy Transfer has served as a molecular ruler that reports conformational changes and intramolecular distances of single biomolecules. However, such rulers suffer from low and fluctuating signal intensities, limited observation time due to photobleaching, and an upper distance limit of approx10 nm. Noble metal nanoparticles have plasmon resonances in the visible range and do not blink or bleach. They have been employed as alternative probes to overcome the limitations of organic fluorophores, and the coupling of plasmons in nearby particles has been exploited to detect particle aggregation by a distinct color change in bulk experiments. Here we demonstrate that plasmon coupling can be used to monitor distances between single pairs of gold and silver nanoparticles. We followed the directed assembly of gold and silver nanoparticle dimers in real time and studied the kinetics of single DNA hybridization events. These 'plasmon rulers' allowed us to continuously monitor separations of up to 70 nm for >3,000 s.
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By monitoring the polarized light scattering from individual gold nanorods in a darkfield microscope, we are able to determine their orientation as a function of time. We demonstrate time resolution of milliseconds and observation times of hours by observing the two-dimensional rotational diffusion of gold rods attached to a glass surface. The observed orientational diffusion shows a fast component of about 60 ms and "sticky times" of seconds. The large signal-to-noise ratio, chemical and photochemical stability, fast time response, and small size of these gold nanorods make them an ideal probe for orientation sensing in material science and molecular biology.
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Pairs of noble metal nanoparticles can be used to measure distances via the distance dependence of their plasmon coupling. These "plasmon rulers" offer exceptional photostability and brightness; however, the advantages and limitations of this approach remain to be explored. Here we report detailed plasmon peak versus separation calibration curves for 42- and 87-nm-diameter particle pairs, determine their measurement errors, and describe experimental procedures to improve their performance in biology, nanotechnology, and materials sciences.
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Branched nanocrystal heterostructures synthesized from CdSe and CdTe exhibit a type II band structure alignment that induces separation of charge upon photoexcitation and localizes carriers to different regions of the tetrahedral geometry. The dynamics of carrier relaxation examined with femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy showed heterostructures having rise times and biexponential decays longer than those of nanorods with similar dimensions. This is attributed to weaker interactions with surface states and nonradiative relaxation channels afforded by the type II alignment.
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Recent results have demonstrated that hybrid photovoltaic cells based on a blend of inorganic nanocrystals and polymers possess significant potential for low-cost, scalable solar power conversion. Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, like polymers, are solution processable and chemically synthesized, but possess the advantageous properties of inorganic semiconductors such as a broad spectral absorption range and high carrier mobilities. Significant advances in hybrid solar cells have followed the development of elongated nanocrystal rods and branched nanocrystals, which enable more effective charge transport. The incorporation of these larger nanostructures into polymers has required optimization of blend morphology using solvent mixtures. Future advances will rely on new nanocrystals, such as cadmium telluride tetrapods, that have the potential to enhance light absorption and further improve charge transport. Gains can also be made by incorporating application-specific organic components, including electroactive surfactants which control the physical and electronic interactions between nanocrystals and polymer.
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Equilibrium geometries, surface energies, and surfactant binding energies are calculated for selected bulk facets of wurtzite CdSe with a first-principles approach. Passivation of the surface Cd atoms with alkyl phosphonic acids or amines lowers the surface energy of all facets, except for the polar 0001 facet. On the nonpolar facets, the most stable configuration corresponds to full coverage of surface Cd atoms with surfactants, while on the polar 0001 facet it corresponds only to a partial coverage. In addition, the passivated surface energies of the nonpolar facets are in general lower than the passivated polar 0001 facet. Therefore, the polar facets are less stable and less efficiently passivated than the nonpolar facets, and this can rationalize the observed anisotropic growth mechanism of wurtzite nanocrystals in the presence of suitable surfactants.
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Integration of semiconductor epitaxical nanostructures and nanocrystals into two classes of quantum structures, uncovered adsorbed nanocrystals or buried via epitaxical overgrowth, is successfully demonstrated through structural and optical studies. The combination InGaAs/GaAs epitaxical structures and InAs nanocrystals is employed as a vehicle with the functional aim of exploiting the well developed optoelectronic communication technology based on the former with the biochemical and biomedical applications for which the latter are well suited.
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A new facility for high-pressure diffraction and spectroscopy using diamond anvil high-pressure cells has been built at the Advanced Light Source on Beamline 12.2.2. This beamline benefits from the hard X-radiation generated by a 6 Tesla superconducting bending magnet (superbend). Useful x-ray flux is available between 5 keV and 35 keV. The radiation is transferred from the superbend to the experimental enclosure by the brightness preserving optics of the beamline. These optics are comprised of: a plane parabola collimating mirror (M1), followed by a Kohzu monochromator vessel with a Si(111) crystals (E/DE ~; 7000) and a W/B4C multilayers (E/DE ~; 100), and then a toroidal focusing mirror (M2) with variable focusing distance. The experimental enclosure contains an automated beam positioning system, a set of slits, ion chambers, the sample positioning goniometry and area detectors (CCD or image-plate detector). Future developments aim at the installation of a second end station dedicated for in situ laser-heating on one hand and a dedicated high-pressure single-crystal station, applying both monochromatic as well as polychromatic techniques.
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Controlled synthesis of hyperbranched CdTe and CdSe semiconductor nanocrystals is presented. The length of the arms and the degree of branching could be controlled independently by varying the amount and kind of organic surfactant. The three-dimensional structure of these nanocrystals has been characterized with TEM tomography.
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Conventional organic fluorophores suffer from poor photo stability, narrow absorption spectra and broad emission feature. Semiconductor nanocrystals, on the other hand, are highly photo-stable with broad absorption spectra and narrow size-tunable emission spectra. Recent advances in the synthesis of these materials have resulted in bright, sensitive, extremely photo-stable and biocompatible semiconductor fluorophores. Commercial availability facilitates their application in a variety of unprecedented biological experiments, including multiplexed cellular imaging, long-term in vitro and in vivo labeling, deep tissue structure mapping and single particle investigation of dynamic cellular processes. Semiconductor nanocrystals are one of the first examples of nanotechnology enabling a new class of biomedical applications.
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Semiconductor tetrapods are three-dimensional (3D) branched nanostructures, representing a new class of materials for electrical conduction. We employ the single-electron transistor approach to investigate how charge carriers migrate through single nanoscale branch points of tetrapods. We find that carriers can delocalize across the branches or localize and hop between arms depending on their coupling strength. In addition, we demonstrate a new single-electron transistor operation scheme enabled by the multiple branched arms of a tetrapod: one arm can be used as a sensitive arm-gate to control the electrical transport through the whole system.
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The size trend for the pressure-induced gamma-Fe2O3 (maghemite) to alpha-Fe2O3 (hematite) structural phase transition in nanocrystals has been observed. The transition pressure was found to increase with decreasing nanocrystal size: 7 nm nanocrystals transformed at 272 GPa, 5 nm at 343 GPa and 3 nm at 372 GPa. Annealing of a bulk sample of gamma-Fe2O3 was found to reduce the transition pressure from 352 to 242 GPa. The bulk modulus was determined to be 2626 GPa for 7 nm nanocrystals of gamma-Fe2O3, which is significantly higher than for the value of 1906 GPa that we measured for bulk samples. For alpha-Fe2O3, the bulk moduli for 7 nm nanocrystals (3365) and bulk (30030) were found to be almost the same within error. The bulk modulus for the gamma phase was found to decrease with decreasing particle size between 10 and 3.2 nm particle size. Values for the ambient pressure molar volume were found within 1 percent to be: 33.0 cm3/ mol for bulk gamma-Fe2O3, 32.8 cm3/mol for 7 nm diameter gamma-Fe2O3 nanocrystals, 30.7 cm3/mol for bulk alpha-Fe2O3 and 30.6 cm3/mol for alpha-Fe2O3 nanocrystals.
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The concept of self-assembled dendrimers is explored for the creation of discrete nanoparticle assemblies. Hybridization of branched DNA trimers and nanoparticle-DNA conjugates results in the synthesis of nanoparticle trimer and tetramer complexes. Multiple tetramer architectures are investigated, utilizing Au-DNA conjugates with varying secondary structural motifs. Hybridization products are analyzed by gel electrophoresis, and discrete bands are observed corresponding to structures with increasing numbers of hybridization events. Samples extracted from each band are analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, and statistics compiled from micrographs are used to compare assembly characteristics for each architecture. Asymmetric structures are also produced in which both 5- and 10-nm Au particles are assembled on branched scaffolds.
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The high-temperature synthesis of CdSe nanocrystals in nanoliter-volume droplets flowing in a perfluorinated carrier fluid through a microfabricated reactor is presented. A flow-focusing nanojet structure with a step increase in channel height reproducibly generated octadecene droplets in Fomblin Y 06/6 perfluorinated polyether at capillary numbers up to 0.81 and with a droplet:carrier fluid viscosity ratio of 0.035. Cadmium and selenium precursors flowing in octadecene droplets through a high-temperature (240-300 °C) glass microreactor produced high-quality CdSe nanocrystals, as verified by optical spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Isolating the reaction solution in droplets prevented particle deposition and hydrodynamic dispersion, allowing the reproducible synthesis of nanocrystals at three different temperatures and four different residence times in the span of 4 h. Our synthesis of a wide range of nanocrystals at high temperatures, high capillary numbers, and low viscosity ratio illustrates the general utility of droplet-based microfluidic reactors to encapsulate nanoliter volumes of organic or aqueous solutions and to precisely control chemical or biochemical reactions.
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Robust and bright light emitters, semiconductor nanocrystals [quantum dots (QDs)] have been adopted as a new class of fluorescent labels. Six years after the first experiments of their uses in biological applications, there have been dramatic improvements in understanding surface chemistry, biocompatibility, and targeting specificity. Many studies have shown the great potential of using quantum dots as new probes in vitro and in vivo. This review summarizes the recent advances of quantum dot usage at the cellular level, including immunolabeling, cell tracking, in situ hybridization, FRET, in vivo imaging, and other related technologies. Limitations and potential future uses of quantum dot probes are also discussed.
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The study of nanoscale materials with well-controlled size and shape can be used to learn more about critical length scales for numerous physical and chemical phenomena in solids and extended systems. Small nanocrystals (below 5-nm diameter) have been shown to exhibit fully reversible single-domain structural phase transformations with large volume changes over multiple cycles. The same transformations in extended solids are accompanied by irreversible domain formation. Here we investigate the crossover between these regimes by studying a pressure-induced structural transformation in 4-nm-diameter nanorods varying in aspect ratio from 1 to 10. We find that above a critical length the nanorods fracture at the moment of the structural transformation. This work demonstrates the use of simple, well-defined nanoscale systems to examine fundamental structural phenomena found in extended solids.
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Hollow nanocrystals can be synthesized through a mechanism analogous to the Kirkendall Effect, in which pores form because of the difference in diffusion rates between two components in a diffusion couple. Starting with cobalt nanocrystals, we show that their reaction in solution with oxygen and either sulfur or selenium leads to the formation of hollow nanocrystals of the resulting oxide and chalcogenides. This process provides a general route to the synthesis of hollow nanostructures of a large number of compounds. A simple extension of the process yielded platinum-cobalt oxide yolk-shell nanostructures, which may serve as nanoscale reactors in catalytic applications.
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Multielectron ionization of colloidal CdSe quantum dots under intense femtosecond UV excitation has been studied. By directly probing the absorption from the ionized electron, quantitative measurements of the yield and dynamics of the ionization have been made as a function of excitation fluence and variations of size and potential structure of quantum dots. The results have been explained by an ionization mechanism involving resonant two-photon absorption.
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Cation exchange has been investigated in a wide range of nanocrystals of varying composition, size, and shape. Complete and fully reversible exchange occurs, and the rates of the reactions are much faster than in bulk cation exchange processes. A critical size has been identified below which the shapes of complex nanocrystals evolve toward the equilibrium shape with lowest energy during the exchange reaction. Above the critical size, the anion sublattice remains intact and the basic shapes of the initial nanocrystals are retained throughout the cation exchange. The size-dependent shape change can also be used to infer features of the microscopic mechanism.
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First principles electronic structure simulations are used to study the atomistic detail of the interaction between organic surfactant molecules and the surfaces of CdSe semiconductor nanoparticles. These calculations provide insights into the relaxed atomic geometry of organics bound to semiconductor surfaces at the nanoscale as well as the electronic charge transfer between surface atoms and the organics. We calculate the binding energy of phosphine oxide, phosphonic and carboxylic acids, and amine ligands to a range of CdSe nanoparticle facets. The dominant binding interaction is between oxygen atoms in the ligands and cadmium atoms on the nanoparticle surfaces. The most strongly bound ligands are phosphonic acid molecules, which bind preferentially to the facets forming the sides of CdSe nanorods. The calculated relative binding strengths of ligands to different facets support the hypothesis that these binding energies control the relative growth rates of different facets, and therefore the resulting geometry of the nanoparticles.
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The development of colloidal quantum dots has led to practical applications of quantum confinement, such as in solution-processed solar cells, lasers and as biological labels. Further scientific and technological advances should be achievable if these colloidal quantum systems could be electronically coupled in a general way. For example, this was the case when it became possible to couple solid-state embedded quantum dots into quantum dot molecules. Similarly, the preparation of nanowires with linear alternating compositions-another form of coupled quantum dots-has led to the rapid development of single-nanowire light-emitting diodes and single-electron transistors. Current strategies to connect colloidal quantum dots use organic coupling agents, which suffer from limited control over coupling parameters and over the geometry and complexity of assemblies. Here we demonstrate a general approach for fabricating inorganically coupled colloidal quantum dots and rods, connected epitaxially at branched and linear junctions within single nanocrystals. We achieve control over branching and composition throughout the growth of nanocrystal heterostructures to independently tune the properties of each component and the nature of their interactions. Distinct dots and rods are coupled through potential barriers of tuneable height and width, and arranged in three-dimensional space at well-defined angles and distances. Such control allows investigation of potential applications ranging from quantum information processing to artificial photosynthesis.
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A poly(3-hexylthiophene) containing an interacting amino chain end enhances the performance of P3HT/CdSe solar cells by increasing the dispersion of CdSe nanocrystals and improving the morphology of the nanocomposite without introducing insulating surfactants.
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CdTe tetrapods have been deposited on a substrate and partially coated with a protective polymer layer, exposing just one arm. The exposed arm was then decorated with Au nanoparticles in a site selective fashion. The modified arms were readily broken off from the remainder of the tetrapods and released from the substrate, yielding CdTe nanorods asymmetrically modified with Au nanoparticles. These nanostructures with reduced symmetry may show interesting optoelectronic properties.
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The combination of lithography and self-assembly provides a powerful means of organizing solution-synthesized nanostructures for a wide variety of applications. We have developed a fluidic assembly method that relies on the local pinning of a moving liquid contact line by lithographically produced topographic features to concentrate nanoparticles at those features. The final stages of the assembly process are controlled first by long-range immersion capillary forces and then by the short-range electrostatic and Van der Waal's interactions. We have successfully assembled nanoparticles from 50 nm to 2 nm in size using this technique and have also demonstrated the controlled positioning of more complex nanotetrapod structures. We have used this process to assemble Au nanoparticles into pre-patterned electrode structures and have performed preliminary electrical characterization of the devices so formed. The fluidic assembly method is capable of very high yield, in terms of positioning nanostructures at each lithographically-defined location, and of excellent specificity, with essentially no particle deposition between features.
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We report the isotropic-liquid crystalline phase diagram of 3.0nm×60?nm CdSe nanorods dispersed in anhydrous cyclohexane. The coexistence concentrations of both phases are found to be lower and the biphasic region wider than the results predicted by the hard rod model, indicating that the attractive interaction between the nanorods may be important in the formation of the liquid crystalline phase in this system.
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Nanostructures of colloidal CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) surrounded by a discrete number of Au nanoparticles were generated via DNA hybridization and purified by gel electrophoresis. Statistics from TEM analysis showed a high yield of designed structures. The distance between Au particles and QD, the number of Au around the central QD, and the size of Au and QD can be adjusted. Rationally designed structures such as these hold great promise for researching the physical interactions between semiconductor and Au nanoparticles and for developing more efficient nanoprobes.
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We report a facile method for reproducibly fabricating large-scale device arrays, suitable for nanoelectronics or nanophotonics, that incorporate a controlled number of sub-50-nm-diameter nanocrystals at lithographically defined precise locations on a chip and within a circuit. The interfacial capillary force present during the evaporation of a nanocrystal suspension forms the basis of the assembly mechnism. Our results demonstrate for the first time that macromolecule size particles down to 2-nm diameter and complex nanostructures such as nanotetrapods can be effectively organized by the capillary interaction. This approach integrates the merits of bottom-up solution-processed nanostructures with top-down lithographically prepared devices and has the potential to be scaled up to wafer size for a large number of functional nanoelectronics and nanophotonics applications.
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In the coming decade, the ability to sense and detect the state of biological systems and living organisms optically, electrically and magnetically will be radically transformed by developments in materials physics and chemistry. The emerging ability to control the patterns of matter on the nanometer length scale can be expected to lead to entirely new types of biological sensors. These new systems will be capable of sensing at the single-molecule level in living cells, and capable of parallel integration for detection of multiple signals, enabling a diversity of simultaneous experiments, as well as better crosschecks and controls.
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(Oral presentation) Nanocrystal shape can be controlled by growing the crystal in the presence of organic molecules that selectively adhere to one crystallographic facet, reducing the growth rate of the facet compared to others. This method of shape control has been applied to CdSe, CdTe, Co, iron oxides and titanium dioxide. In each case, a variety of shapes can be prepared, including rods, disks, and branched structures. Common principles about how to create different shapes are emerging based on the comparisons between several systems.
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Mesoporous silica was synthesized in the presence of metal (Au, Pt, and Ag) nanoparticles in the 2-20 nm range. Sample characterization was performed by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The metal nanoparticles in the 2-10 nm range were successfully incorporated into the ordered mesoporous SBA-15 structures; 20 nm particles, whose diameter is larger than the SBA-15 pore size, could not be inserted. In the case of 5 and 10 nm diameter nanoparticles, regardless of which metal, the mesopore channels expanded in order to accommodate the metal particles. By using mixtures of metal nanoparticles of two different sizes, it was found that the inclusion and the resultant pore size were controlled by the larger size metal particles.
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Inorganic nanocrystals with well-defined shapes are important for understanding basic size-dependent scaling laws, and may be useful in a wide range of applications. Methods for controlling the shapes of inorganic nanocrystals are evolving rapidly. This paper will focus on how we currently control the shape of nanocrystals and this will be illustrated using CdSe and Co nanocrystals as examples for semiconductors and for metals. These materials show a more pronounced variation of fundamental properties with aspect ratio. However, to take advantage of these shape-dependent properties in possible applications, several challenges need to be overcome. Issues such as alignment, high quantum yield and photostability and precise control of three-dimensional structures need to be addressed. These challenges, as well as several potential applications, will be described briefly.
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Motility and migration are measurable characteristics of cells that are classically associated with the invasive potential of cancer cells, but in vitro assays of invasiveness have been less than perfect. We previously developed an assay to monitor cell motility and migration using water-soluble CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals; cells engulf the fluorescent nanocrystals as they crawl across them and leave behind a fluorescent-free trail. We show here that semiconductor nanocrystals can also be used as a sensitive two-dimensional in vitro invasion assay. We used this assay to compare the behavior of seven different adherent human cell lines, including breast epithelial MCF 10A, breast tumor MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-435S, MCF 7, colon tumor SW480, lung tumor NCI H1299, and bone tumor Saos-2, and observed two distinct behaviors of cancer cells that can be used to further categorize these cells. Some cancer cell lines demonstrate fibroblastic behaviors and leave long fluorescent-free trails as they migrate across the dish, whereas other cancer cells leave clear zones of varying sizes around their periphery. This assay uses fluorescence detection, requires no processing, and can be used in live cell studies. These features contribute to the increased sensitivity of this assay and make it a powerful new tool for discriminating between non-invasive and invasive cancer cell lines.
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Thiol-modified single stranded oligonucleotides of different lengths (8 to 135 bases) were attached to the surface of 10 nm diameter Au nanocrystals with different DNA/Au ratios (1, 2, ..., saturation). The electrophoretic mobility of these conjugates was determined on 2% agarose gels, and the effective diameter of the DNA/Au conjugates was determined. This diameter depends on the conformation of the oligonucleotides adsorbed on the Au surface. For low surface coverage, nonspecific wrapping of the DNA around the nanoparticles was observed. For high surface coverage, short oligonucleotides were shown to be oriented perpendicular to the surface and fully stretched. For high surface coverage and long oligonucleotides, the inner part close to the Au surface was determined to be fully stretched and pointed perpendicular to the surface, whereas the outer part adopts random coil shape.
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Due to their interesting properties, research on colloidal nanocrystals has moved in the last few years from fundamental research to first applications in materials science and life sciences. In this review some recent biological applications of colloidal nanocrystals are discussed, without going into biological or chemical details. First, the properties of colloidal nanocrystals and how they can be synthesized are described. Second, the conjugation of nanocrystals with biological molecules is discussed. And third, three different biological applications are introduced: (i) the arrangement of nanocrystal-oligonucleotide conjugates using molecular scaffolds such as single-stranded DNA, (ii) the use of nanocrystal-protein conjugates as fluorescent probes for cellular imaging, and (iii) a motility assay based on the uptake of nanocrystals by living cells.
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An electroactive pentathiophene surfactant containing a phosphonic acid head group was designed and shown to provide strong binding to the surface of a CdSe nanocrystal and facilitate charge transfer between the nanocrystal and an organic semiconducting matrix (see Figure). Incorporation into organic-inorganic heterojunction solar cells could improve the efficiency of these promising devices.
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Nanoscale materials are currently being exploited as active components in a wide range of technological applications in various fields, such as composite materials, chemical sensing, biomedicine, optoelectronics, and nanoelectronics. Colloidal nanocrystals are promising candidates in these fields, due to their ease of fabrication and processibility. Even more applications and new functional materials might emerge if nanocrystals could be synthesized in shapes of higher complexity than the ones produced by current methods (spheres, rods, discs). Here, we demonstrate that polytypism, or the existence of two or more crystal structures in different domains of the same crystal, coupled with the manipulation of surface energy at the nanoscale, can be exploited to produce branched inorganic nanostructures controllably. For the case of CdTe, we designed a high yield, reproducible synthesis of soluble, tetrapod-shaped nanocrystals through which we can independently control the width and length of the four arms.
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The macroscopic alignment and superlattice structures of CdSe nanorods in a nematic liquid-crystalline (LC) phase are determined by the phases that form prior to complete solvent evaporation (e.g., vortex structures in linear arrays, see Figure). By controlling the phase of the LC solution and its orientation using pretreated surfaces or external fields, it may be possible to achieve fine control of order in deposited nanorod films.
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Transient electric birefringence measurements were performed on dilute solutions of CdSe nanorods. The results confirm the existence of a permanent dipole along the c-crystallographic axis. Measurements on nanorods with different widths and lengths show that the longitudinal permanent dipole moment scales linearly with volume, suggesting it arise from the noncentrosymmetric crystallographic lattice.
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Branched mesoporous silica SBA-15 materials have been prepared in a simple process using non-ionic surfactant in acidic conditions in the presence of metal ions.
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Industrial catalysts often consist of transition metals supported on microporous or mesoporous high surface area oxides and are prepared by techniques such as impregnation and ion adsorption. In standard fabrication processes the metal particle size is not well-controlled. In this paper we report a new synthetic route for the production of catalyst materials with more precise control of the metal particle size. Gold nanoparticles encapsulated in mesoporous silica (MCM-41 and MCM-48) served as a model system, although the techniques described are applicable to a wide variety of metals and oxide supports. The samples were characterized by a combination of low-angle powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N2 porosimetry, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy. The results show that the MCM-41 and MCM-48 structures retain their long-range order when metal particles are added; in addition, the size of the channels increases monotonically with metal loading. X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy in combination with the adsorption of thiols provides conclusive evidence that 2- and 5-nm-diameter Au nanoparticles are incorporated into the pores of the silicates and that they are accessible to reactant molecules.
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The surfactant-mediated shape evolution of titanium dioxide anatase nanocrystals in nonaqueous media was studied. The shape evolves from bullet and diamond structures to rods and branched rods. The modulation of surface energies of the different crystallographic faces through the use of a surface selective surfactant is the key parameter for the shape control.
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Charge transport in composites of inorganic nanorods and a conjugated polymer is investigated using a photovoltaic device structure. We show that the current-voltage (I-V) curves in the dark can be modeled using the Shockley equation modified to include series and shunt resistance at low current levels, and using an improved model that incorporates both the Shockley equation and the presence of a space-charge limited region at high currents. Under illumination the efficiency of photocurrent generation is found to be dependent on applied bias. Furthermore, the photocurrent-light intensity dependence was found to be sublinear. An analysis of the shunt resistance as a function of light intensity suggests that the photocurrent as well as the fill factor is diminished as a result of increased photoconductivity of the active layer at high light intensity. By studying the intensity dependence of the open circuit voltage for nanocrystals with different diameters and thus band gaps, it was inferred that Fermi-level pinning occurs at the interface between the aluminum electrode and the nanocrystal.
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We have shown recently that the use of high-aspect-ratio inorganic nanorods in conjunction with conjugated polymers is a route to obtaining efficient solar cells processed from solution. Here, we demonstrate that the use of binary solvent mixtures in which one of the components is a ligand for the nanocrystals is effective in controlling the dispersion of nanocrystals in a polymer. By varying the concentration of the solvent mixture, phase separation between the nanocrystal and polymer could be tuned from micrometer scale to nanometer scale. In addition, we can achieve nanocrystal surfaces that are free of surfactant through the use of weak binding ligands that can be removed through heating. When combined, the control of film morphology together with surfactant removal result in nanorod-polymer blend photovoltaic cells with a high external quantum efficiency of 59?% under 0.1 mW?cm-2 illumination at 450 nm.
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We report two cDNA microarray-based applications of DNA-nanocrystal conjugates, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and multiallele detections, using a commercial scanner and two sets of nanocrystals with orthogonal emissions. We focus on SNP mutation detection in the human p53 tumor suppressor gene, which has been found to be mutated in more than 50% of the known human cancers. DNA-nanocrystal conjugates are able to detect both SNP and single-base deletion at room temperature within minutes, with true-to-false signal ratios above 10. We also demonstrate microarray-based multiallele detection, using hybridization of multicolor nanocrystals conjugated to two sequences specific for the hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus, two common viral pathogens that inflict more than 10% of the population in the developing countries worldwide. The simultaneous detection of multiple genetic markers with microarrays and DNA-nanocrystal conjugates has no precedent and suggests the possibility of detecting an even greater number of bacterial or viral pathogens simultaneously.
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Cadmium selenide nanocrystals are reproducibly synthesized at high-temperature in continuous flow, chip-based microfluidic reactors and exhibit size distributions comparable to those for conventional macroscale syntheses. Nanocrystal size, probed by fluorescence, is precisely controlled by independently varying the temperature, flow rate, and concentration of precursor solution flowing through heated microchannels. These experiments demonstrate the ability to fine-tune physical properties and test wide ranges of conditions precisely and rapidly inside chip-based microreactors, enabling rational, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly development and production of novel nanostructures.
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No abstract available.
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No abstract available.
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Discrete Au nanoparticle/DNA conjugates have been isolated by electrophoresis and used to form small groupings of particles, such as dimers and trimers. The use of purified conjugates leads to a higher yield of the target structure, and it has allowed us better control and understanding of the system. Newly accessible questions, such as the electrophoretic mobility of nanoparticle/DNA hybrids and the critical role of particle surface charge on mobility, have been studied. Detailed characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has now been done because of the higher quality of the samples. A computer program to generate pair distribution functions from TEM images was developed, pointing out the dependence of interparticle distance with DNA length on dimers of particles.
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Membrane osmometry is used to measure osmotic pressures of dilute solutions containing quasispherical CdSe nanocrystals covered with polymer brushes in toluene in the range 31-45 °C. Osmotic-pressure data, as a function of nanocrystal concentration, yield the molecular weight and the osmotic second virial coefficient of the nanocrystals; the latter is related to the potential of mean force between two nanocrystal particles in dilute solution. Coupled with molecular-weight data, extinction coefficients and oscillator strengths are also obtained for nanocrystals of various sizes in toluene. CdSe nanocrystal sizes were obtained either from transmission electron microscopy or from correlations between the wavelength of the absorbing peak and nanocrystal size. Osmotic-pressure data are reduced with a simple perturbed-hard-sphere equation of state; the perturbation is due to long-range (London dispersion) attraction and a short-range interaction potential. The only adjustable parameter, the strength of this short-range potential, shows two-body repulsion or attraction, depending on the sample and on solution conditions.
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Resonant photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) at the Fe L3,2 absorption edge was utilized to image single Fe2O3 nanocrystals of 10 nm average diameter (~20?000 Fe atoms) and to record soft x-ray absorption spectra of individual particles. Within the spectral resolution of the experiment, no damage to the individual nanoparticles occurs during repeated, prolonged exposure to the intense x-ray beam. Furthermore, no differences in the position or shape of the soft x-ray absorption spectrum of a single nanocrystal and the ensemble are observed within the experimental resolution. PEEM contrast images and soft x-ray absorption spectra, however, show strong intensity variations between different particles reflecting the size distribution of the sample. This proof-of-principle experiment successfully demonstrates the applicability of x-ray spectromicroscopy to the study of nanoscale systems on a hitherto unachieved length scale.
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hcp Co disk-shaped nanocrystals were obtained by rapid decomposition of cobalt carbonyl in the presence of linear amines. Other surfactants, in addition to the amines, like phosphine oxides and oleic acid were used to improve size dispersion, shape control, and nanocrystal stability. Co disks are ferromagnetic in character and they spontaneously self-assemble into long ribbons. X-ray and electron diffraction, electron microscopy, and SQUID magnetometry have been employed to characterize this material.
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A method of producing high quality magnetic colloidal dispersions by the rapid pyrolysis of cobalt carbonyl in an inert atmosphere was employed to produce monodispersed, stabilized, defect-free epsi-cobalt nanocrystals with spherical shapes and sizes ranging from 3 to 17 nm, as well as cubic and rod-like shaped particles. The size distribution and the shape of the nanocrystals were controlled by varying the surfactant composition (oleic acid, phosphonic oxides and acids), its concentration and the reaction temperature. These particles have been observed to produce 2D self-assemblies when evaporated at low rates in a controlled atmosphere. A combination of X-ray powder diffraction; transmission electron microscopy; and SQUID magnetometry has been used to characterize both the dispersed nanocrystals and the assembled superlattices.
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Water-soluble, highly fluorescent, silanized semiconductor nanocrystals with different surface charges were synthesized. To covalently attach the nanocrystals to biological macromolecules with a variety of mild coupling chemistries, the outermost siloxane shells were derivatized with thiol, amino, or carboxyl functional groups. Single- or double-stranded DNA was coupled to the nanocrystal surfaces by using commercially available bifunctional cross-linker. Conjugation had little effect on the optical properties of the nanocrystals, and the resulting conjugates were more stable than previously reported systems. By using the strategies developed in this study, most biomolecules can be covalently coupled to semiconductor nanocrystals. These nanocrystal-DNA conjugates promise to be a versatile tool for fluorescence imaging and probing of biological systems.
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The uptake of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals by a large range of eukaryotes (see Figure) is directly correlated with the cell motility, as has been shown by comparing the motions of cancerous and healthy human breast cells. The nanocrystals are more photochemically robust than organic dyes and provide a powerful tool for studying the processes of cell motility and migration-behaviors that are responsible for metastases of primary cancers.
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A common limitation in nanostructure research is often the requirement to perform experiments on ensembles of nanoparticles, therefore averaging over inherent distributions with respect to particle size and shape, chemical composition, crystallinity and defect structure. This limitation can be overcome by studying the properties of a single nanostructure individually, which will allow one to truly correlate scaling laws of material properties with changes in size. Here we report the first experiments to explore the feasibility of spectromicroscopy using a photoemission electron microscope (PEEM) to record the X-ray absorption spectra of single nanocrystals. Colloidal iron oxide nanocrystals with an average diameter and standard deviation of 13 nm and 2 nm, respectively, were deposited on graphite (HOPG) forming small islands of agglomerated Fe2O3 nanocrystals (4-30 particles) as determined by scanning electron microscopy. Spatially resolved soft X-ray absorption spectra at the Fe L3,2 edges of these individual islands were recorded with the PEEM2 instrument of the Advanced Light Source (ALS).
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We report the preparation and structural characterization of core/shell CdSe/CdS/ZnS nanorods. A graded shell of larger band gap is grown around CdSe rods using trioctylphosphine oxide as a surfactant. Interfacial segregation is used to preferentially deposit CdS near the core, providing relaxation of the strain at the core/shell interface. The reported synthesis allows for variation of the shell thickness between one and six monolayers, on core nanorods ranging from aspect ratios of 2:1 to 10:1. After an irreversible photochemical annealing process, the core/shell nanorods have increased quantum efficiencies and are stable in air under visible or UV excitation. In addition to their robust optical properties, these samples provide an opportunity for the study of the evolution of epitaxial strain as the shape of the core varies from nearly spherical to nearly cylindrical.
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Shape control of inorganic nanocrystals is important for understanding basic size- and shape-dependent scaling laws, and may be useful in a wide range of applications. Methods for controlling the shapes of inorganic nanocrystals are evolving rapidly. This paper will focus on how we currently control the shape of semiconductor nanocrystals using CdSe as example.
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Rodlike molecules form liquid crystalline phases with orientational order and positional disorder. The great majority of materials in which liquid crystalline phases have been observed comprise organic molecules or polymers, even though there has been continuing and growing interest in inorganic liquid crystals. Recent advances in the control of the sizes and shapes of inorganic nanocrystals allow for the formation of a broad class of new inorganic liquid crystals. Here, we show the formation of liquid crystalline phases of CdSe semiconductor nanorods. These new liquid crystalline phases may have great importance for both application and fundamental study.
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Uniform shape and size platinum nanoparticles encapsulated in mesoporous silica (SBA-15) were prepared in the same solution by a novel two-step method. Platinum nanoparticles were prepared in aqueous solution of K2PtCl4, the reduction was carried out by bubbling hydrogen, the capping material was tri-block poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer. The mesoporous silica was synthesized using the same copolymer as template from tetraethyl orthosilicate by hydrolysis in acidic conditions. The Pt-nanoparticles-in-mesoporous-silica system was characterized by a combination of low-angle powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and N2 porosimetry. The platinum nanoparticles are encapsulated in the mesopores and retained their size and morphology. It appears that this hybrid material should be a superior three-dimensional high-surface-area catalyst for selective platinum-catalyzed reactions.
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Metallic nanoparticles (platinum and gold) encapsulated in mesoporous silica (SBA-15) were prepared in the same solution by a novel two-step method. Characterization by X-ray scattering and electron microscopy consistently shows that the metal nanoparticles were homogeneously incorporated in the mesopores (retaining their size and morphology), even when the nanocrystal diameter exceeds the normal mesopore diameter. The nanoparticles nucleated the expansion of the mesopore channels in the 92-116 Å range so they could accommodate the metal particles. This expansion occurs in the concentration range of 1-103 nanoparticles per 103 mesopore channels. This effect can be used to tune the pore size.
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We show that metastable rocksalt CdSe nanocrystals can persist at ambient pressure depending on the physical size of the particle. The size-dependence of the hysteresis loop was measured for the solid-solid transition in CdSe nanocrystals, between four- and six-coordinate structures. A systematic shift of the entire hysteresis loop to lower pressure results in a threshold size of 11 nm for ambient metastability of the six-coordinate rocksalt structure. Smaller nanocrystals transform back to the four-coordinate structure as occurs in the CdSe bulk solid. Surface energy contributions are used to explain the shift. The results have important implications for the optimum synthesis of metastable nanocrystal solids under ambient conditions.
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We demonstrate that semiconductor nanorods can be used to fabricate readily processed and efficient hybrid solar cells together with polymers. By controlling nanorod length, we can change the distance on which electrons are transported directly through the thin film device. Tuning the band gap by altering the nanorod radius enabled us to optimize the overlap between the absorption spectrum of the cell and the solar emission spectrum. A photovoltaic device consisting of 7-nanometer by 60-nanometer CdSe nanorods and the conjugated polymer poly-3(hexylthiophene) was assembled from solution with an external quantum efficiency of over 54% and a monochromatic power conversion efficiency of 6.9% under 0.1 milliwatt per square centimeter illumination at 515 nanometers. Under Air Mass (A.M.) 1.5 Global solar conditions, we obtained a power conversion efficiency of 1.7%.
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The dependence of electronic states on the length and diameter of CdSe quantum rods is investigated using semiempirical pseudopotential calculations. Energy levels cross as the aspect ratio increases due to their different dependence on length. The crossover between the highest occupied levels leads to a transition from plane-polarized to linearly polarized light emission at aspect ratio ca. 1.3. Further increasing aspect ratio results in levels with similar symmetry converging and forming "bands". This calculation demonstrates the transition of electronic structure from zero-dimensional quantum dots to one-dimensional quantum wires.
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A new mechanism of electron paramagnetic resonance in spherical zinc-blende semiconductor nanocrystals, based on the extended orbital motion of electrons in the entire nanocrystal, is presented. Quantum confinement plays a crucial role in making the resonance signal observable. The mechanism remains operative in nanocrystals with uniaxially distorted shape. A theoretical model based on the proposed mechanism is in good quantitative agreement with unusual ODMR spectra observed in nearly spherical CdSe nanocrystals.
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Semiconductor nanocrystals with narrow and tunable fluorescence are covalently linked to oligonucleotides. These biocompounds retain the properties of both nanocrystals and DNA. Therefore, different sequences of DNA can be coded with nanocrystals and still preserve their ability to hybridize to their complements. We report the case where four different sequences of DNA are linked to four nanocrystal samples having different colors of emission in the range of 530-640 nm. When the DNA-nanocrystal conjugates are mixed together, it is possible to sort each type of nanoparticle by using hybridization on a defined micrometer-size surface containing the complementary oligonucleotide. Detection of sorting requires only a single excitation source and an epifluorescence microscope. The possibility of directing fluorescent nanocrystals toward specific biological targets and detecting them, combined with their superior photostability compared to organic dyes, opens the way to improved biolabeling experiments, such as gene mapping on a nanometer scale or multicolor microarray analysis.
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No abstract available.
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Colloidal nanocrystal/DNA conjugates hold the promise of becoming powerful probes for biological diagnostics as well as versatile building blocks for nanotechnology. To fully realize this potential, it is important to precisely control the number of oligonucleotides bound to the nanocrystal. Here we demonstrate electrophoretic isolation of 5 and 10 nm gold nanocrystals bearing discrete numbers of single-stranded DNA (1-5). The potential use of these discrete conjugates in the fabrication of novel nanostructures is discussed.
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A method of producing high-quality magnetic colloidal dispersions by the rapid pyrolysis of cobalt carbonyl in an inert atmosphere was employed to produce monodispersed, stabilized, defect-free ε-cobalt nanocrystals, with spherical shapes and sizes ranging from 3 to 17 nm. The size distribution and the shape of the nanocrystals were controlled by varying the surfactant (oleic acid, phosphonic oxides and acids, etc.), its concentration, and the reaction temperature. These particles have been observed to produce two-dimensional self-assemblies when evaporated at low rates in a controlled atmosphere. A collective behavior due to dipolar interactions has been observed in the low susceptibility measurements corresponding to a highly ordered fine particles system.
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We show that a relatively simple approach for controlling the colloidal synthesis of anisotropic cadmium selenide semiconductor nanorods can be extended to the size-controlled preparation of magnetic cobalt nanorods as well as spherically shaped nanocrystals. This approach helps define a minimum feature set needed to separately control the sizes and shapes of nanocrystals. The resulting cobalt nanocrystals produce interesting two- and three-dimensional superstructures, including ribbons of nanorods.
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We review recent advances in the development of colloidal fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals (a class of quantum dots) for biological labeling. Although some of the photophysical properties of nanocrystals are not fully understood and are still actively investigated, researchers have begun developing bioconjugation schemes and applying such probes to biological assays. Nanocrystals possess several qualities that make them very attractive for fluorescent tagging: broad excitation spectrum, narrow emission spectrum, precise tunability of their emission peak, longer fluorescence lifetime than organic fluorophores and negligible photobleaching. On the down side, their emission is strongly intermittent ("blinking") and their size is relatively large for many biological uses. We describe how to take advantage of nanocrystals' spectral properties to increase the resolution of fluorescence microscopy measurements down to the nanometer level. We also show how their long fluorescence lifetime can be used to observe molecules and organelles in living cells without interference from background autofluorescence, a pre-requisite for single molecule detectability. Finally, their availability in multicolor species and their single molecule sensitivity open up interesting possibilities for genomics applications.
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We report the band gaps of rodlike CdSe quantum dots with diameter varying from 3.0 to 6.5 nm and length from 7.5 to 40 nm. A qualitative explanation for the dependence of band gap on width and length is presented.
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Polarization-resolved magnetophotoluminescence spectroscopy is used to study exciton spin states in 40-80 Å diameter chemically synthesized CdSe quantum dots (QDs) at temperatures T=1.2-50K. The spin polarization is found not to saturate in magnetic fields to 60 T and time-resolved studies indicate a thermal population of exciton states. A simple model incorporating the angle-dependent Zeeman splitting and bright-dark level mixing in these randomly oriented quantum dots is constructed in quantitative agreement with the data. Fits using this model yield a dark exciton g factor of ~0.9 at T=1.45K, which is independent of QD diameter and exhibits a surprising increase with increasing temperature.
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The transition between four- and six-coordinate structures in CdSe nanocrystals displays simple transition kinetics as compared with the extended solid, and we determined activation volumes from the pressure dependence of the relaxation times. Our measurements indicate that the transformation takes place by a nucleation mechanism and place strong constraints on the type of microscopic motions that lead to the transformation. The type of analysis presented here is difficult for extended solids, which transform by complicated kinetics and involve ill-defined domain volumes. Solids patterned on the nanoscale may prove to be powerful models for the general study of structural transitions in small systems, as well as in extended solids.
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An understanding of first-order pressure-induced structural transitions is relevant to many research areas in geological and planetary sciences because it involves the study of materials exposed to high pressures. For example, solid-solid transitions in silicates are responsible for the seismic discontinuities in the earth’s mantle (Chudinovskikh and Boehler 2001) and may play a role in plate tectonics and deep earthquakes (Kirby et al. 1991). In geological applications, models of structural transition kinetics simulate rock formation taking place over millions of years (Shekar and Rajan 2001). Despite their importance in earth science applications, the microscopic processes of solid-solid phase transitions are difficult to study in the bulk solid for several reasons (Putnis 1992). In extended solids, the transformation nucleates at defects, which are present at equilibrium even in the highest quality crystals. As a transformed region of the crystal grows larger, mechanical forces generate new defects, which in turn act as new nucleation sites. The difficulties in bulk are compounded by the irreversibility of the kinetics, which depends strongly on the preparation of the sample and its history. The study of first-order phase transitions can be greatly simplified in nanocrystal systems because small crystals can behave as single structural domains and reproducibly cycle through multiple transitions (Wickham et al. 2000). To illustrate the advantages of the simple kinetics in nanoscale systems in exploring fundamental questions of structural phase transitions, this chapter focuses on the CdSe nanocrystal system. Nanocrystalline solid-solid transitions in geologically relevant material such as Fe2O3 nanocrystals are also now being studied (Rockenberger et al. 1999), and a comparable understanding of these materials is a current research goal.
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Colloidal quantum rods of cadmium selenide (CdSe) exhibit linearly polarized emission. Empirical pseudopotential calculations predict that slightly elongated CdSe nanocrystals have polarized emission along the long axis, unlike spherical dots, which emit plane-polarized light. Single-molecule luminescence spectroscopy measurements on CdSe quantum rods with an aspect ratio between 1 and 30 confirm a sharp transition from nonpolarized to purely linearly polarized emission at an aspect ratio of 2. Linearly polarized luminescent chromophores are highly desirable in a variety of applications.
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We describe the synthesis of water-soluble semiconductor nanoparticles and discuss and characterize their properties. Hydrophobic CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals with a core size between 2 and 5 nm are embedded in a siloxane shell and functionalized with thiol and/or amine groups. Structural characterization by AFM indicates that the siloxane shell is 1-5 nm thick, yielding final particle sizes of 6-17 nm, depending on the initial CdSe core size. The silica coating does not significantly modify the optical properties of the nanocrystals. Their fluorescence emission is about 32-35 nm fwhm and can be tuned from blue to red with quantum yields up to 18%, mainly determined by the quantum yield of the underlying CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals. Silanized nanocrystals exhibit enhanced photochemical stability over organic fluorophores. They also display high stability in buffers at physiological conditions (>150 mM NaCl). The introduction of functionalized groups onto the siloxane surface would permit the conjugation of the nanocrystals to biological entities.
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The long (but not too long) fluorescence lifetime of CdSe semiconductor quantum dots was exploited to enhance fluorescence biological imaging contrast and sensitivity by time-gated detection. Significant and selective reduction of the autofluorescence contribution to the overall image was achieved, and enhancement of the signal-to-background ratio by more than an order of magnitude was demonstrated.
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No abstract available.
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It is a pleasure this month to have a Perspective from Terrell Hill, whose book Thermodynamics of Small Systems, should be of great interest to readers of Nano Letters. Hill’s work from the early 1960s presaged much of what today is an emerging discipline of thermodynamics. It is perhaps only now that we are in a position to control and pattern matter on the nanometer scale sufficiently well that detailed experimental studies of the thermodynamics of small systems can be realized. Such studies are essential for the promise of nanoscale science to mature further.
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Sophisticated forms of nanotechnology will find some of their first real-world applications in biomedical research, disease diagnosis and, possibly, therapy.
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X-ray diffraction was used to monitor the structure of 45 Å diameter CdSe nanocrystals as they transformed repeatedly between fourfold and sixfold coordinated crystal structures. Simulations of the diffraction patterns reveal that a shape change occurs as the crystals transform. They also show that stacking faults are generated in the transition from the high- to the low-pressure phase. The shape change and stacking fault generation place significant constraints on the possible microscopic mechanism of the phase transition.
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Nanometre-size inorganic dots, tubes and wires exhibit a wide range of electrical and optical properties that depend sensitively on both size and shape, and are of both fundamental and technological interest. In contrast to the syntheses of zero-dimensional systems, existing preparations of one-dimensional systems often yield networks of tubes or rods which are difficult to separate. And, in the case of optically active II-VI and III-V semiconductors, the resulting rod diameters are too large to exhibit quantum confinement effects. Thus, except for some metal nanocrystals13, there are no methods of preparation that yield soluble and monodisperse particles that are quantum-confined in two of their dimensions. For semiconductors, a benchmark preparation is the growth of nearly spherical II-VI and III-V nanocrystals by injection of precursor molecules into a hot surfactant. Here we demonstrate that control of the growth kinetics of the II-VI semiconductor cadmium selenide can be used to vary the shapes of the resulting particles from a nearly spherical morphology to a rod-like one, with aspect ratios as large as ten to one. This method should be useful, not only for testing theories of quantum confinement, but also for obtaining particles with spectroscopic properties that could prove advantageous in biological labelling experiments and as chromophores in light-emitting diodes.
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The motion of electrons through quantum dots is strongly modified by single-electron charging and the quantization of energy levels. Much effort has been directed towards extending studies of electron transport to chemical nanostructures, including molecules, nanocrystals, and nanotubes. Here we report the fabrication of single-molecule transistors based on individual C60 molecules connected to gold electrodes. We perform transport measurements that provide evidence for a coupling between the centre-of-mass motion of the C60 molecules and single-electron hopping - a conduction mechanism that has not been observed previously in quantum dot studies. The coupling is manifest as quantized nano-mechanical oscillations of the C60 molecule against the gold surface, with a frequency of about 1.2 THz. This value is in good agreement with a simple theoretical estimate based on van der Waals and electrostatic interactions between C60 molecules and gold electrodes.
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The formation of extremely high aspect ratio CdSe nanorods (30:1), as well as arrow-, teardrop-, tetrapod-, and branched tetrapod-shaped nanocrystals of CdSe, has been achieved by growth of the nanoparticles in a mixture of hexylphosphonic acid and trioctylphosphine oxide. The most influential factors in shape control are the ratio of surfactants, injection volume, and time-dependent monomer concentration.
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We investigate the fluorescence intensity correlation function of a single CdSe quantum dot (QD) using a start±stop experiment. We observe strong photon antibunching, a signature of non-classical light emission, over a large range of intensities (0-1±100 kW/cm2). The lack of coincidence at zero time delay indicates a highly ecient Auger ionization process, which suppresses multi-photon emission in these colloidal QDs. Using careful analysis of the saturation behavior of the coincidence histograms, the absorption cross-section of a single QD has also been derived.
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We investigate the quantum size effects in the pressure-induced direct-to-indirect band gap transition in InP nanocrystals. Hydrostatic pressures of up to 13 GPa are applied to two different sizes of InP nanocrystal samples in a diamond anvil cell. The band gap pressure dependence and the nature of the emitting states are studied by photoluminescence (PL) and fluorescence line narrowing (FLN) techniques at 10 K. Pressure-dependent FLN spectra show that the nature of the emitting states at pressures up to 9 GPa is similar to that at ambient pressure, suggesting that no direct-to-indirect transition happens below 9 GPa. For both sizes, the PL peak energy exhibits a strong blueshift with rising pressure until approximately 9 to 10 GPa. Above this pressure, the PL peak position slightly shifts red. Beyond 12 GPa, the band gap emission intensity becomes extremely weak and trap emission dominates the PL spectra. As the pressure is released, both the luminescence intensity and the peak position recover in a fully reversible manner. The change in the sign of the band gap energy pressure dependence and the disappearance of the band edge luminescence indicate the pressure-induced direct-to-indirect band gap transition. Contrary to theoretical calculations, no substantial reduction of the transition pressure is observed in the nanocrystal cases compared to the bulk transition pressure.
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No abstract available. No link available.
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An optical ruler based on ultrahigh-resolution colocalization of single fluorescent probes is described in this paper. It relies on the use of two unique families of fluorophores, namely energy-transfer fluorescent beads (TransFluoSpheres) and semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots, that can be excited by a single laser wavelength but emit at different wavelengths. A multicolor sample-scanning confocal microscope was constructed that allows one to image each fluorescent light emitter, free of chromatic aberrations, by scanning the sample with nanometer scale steps with a piezo-scanner. The resulting spots are accurately localized by fitting them to the known shape of the excitation point-spread function of the microscope. We present results of two-dimensional colocalization of TransFluoSpheres (40 nm in diameter) and of nanocrystals (3-10 nm in diameter) and demonstrate distance-measurement accuracy of better than 10 nm using conventional far-field optics. This ruler bridges the gap between fluorescence resonance energy transfer, near- and far-field imaging, spanning a range of a few nanometers to tens of micrometers.
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No abstract available. No link available.
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Over a twenty-year period, condensed matter physicists and physical chemists have elucidated a series of scaling laws which successfully describe the size dependence of solid state properties. Often the experiments were performed under somewhat exotic conditions, for instance on mass-selected clusters isolated in molecular beams or on quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy and interrogated at low temperatures and in high magnetic fields. As a result, we now have an understanding of how thermodynamic, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties evolve from the atomic to the solid state limit. This area of research is presently undergoing a remarkable transformation. The scaling laws, previously the direct subject of research, now provide a tool for the design of advanced new materials. In the case of colloidal quantum dots, or semiconductor nanocrystals, these new insights are poised to have impact in disciplines remote from solid state physics
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The aggregation of nanocrystals has long been believed to result in disordered solids. In his Perspective, Alivisatos discusses recent evidence that nanocrystals may also form oriented assemblies. He highlights the work by Banfield et al. in this issue, who show that such alignment can also occur in natural systems. The results may be of importance not only for geochemistry but also for the synthesis of advanced artificial materials.
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Localization of carrier wave functions to the quantum-well portion of the CdS/HgS quantum-dot quantum well (QDQW) is investigated. Nanosecond hole-burning (HB) spectra measure the photoinduced exciton coupling to a 250-cm-1 HgS phonon mode indicative of localization. Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy of these QDQW, however, show the photoinduced exciton couples to coherent 300-cm-1 CdS longitudinal optical-phonon modes, which is indicative of delocalization throughout the QDQW. Femtosecond HB and three pulse pump-dump experiments reveal these results are dependent on the time scale of the experiment. These experiments indicate that the initially photoexcited electron and hole wave functions are weakly confined to the HgS monolayer. Only after long times (~400 fs) will the exciton localize to the HgS well. These results indicate that the primary optical interaction excites electrons from a delocalized QDQW ground state and not from a localized HgS well state.
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We report the results of 31P NMR measurements on trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) passivated InP quantum dots. The spectra show distinct surface-capping sites, implying a manifold of crystal-ligand bonding configurations. Two In31P surface components are resolved and related to different electronic surroundings. With decreasing particle size the In31P core resonance reveals an increasing upfield chemical shift related to the overall size dependence of the InP electronic structure.
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No abstract available.
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A simple yet highly reproducible method to fabricate metallic electrodes with nanometer separation is presented. The fabrication is achieved by passing a large electrical current through a gold nanowire defined by electron-beam lithography and shadow evaporation. The current flow causes the electromigration of gold atoms and the eventual breakage of the nanowire. The breaking process yields two stable metallic electrodes separated by ~1 nm with high efficiency. These electrodes are ideally suited for electron-transport studies of chemically synthesized nanostructures, and their utility is demonstrated here by fabricating single-electron transistors based on colloidal cadmium selenide
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No abstract available. No link available.
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Specific, designed, nonperiodic arrangements of gold nanocrystals that are 5 and 10 nm in diameter can be prepared with double-stranded DNA serving as a template (see drawing; A' and B' denote oligonucleotide sequences complementary to sequences A and B). The methods described should be applicable to nanocrystals composed of various materials.
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Photovoltaic devices remain an important aim for thin films of conjugated polymers. Here is reported the construction of devices with improved photovoltaic performance, which is achieved by blending elongated CdSe nanocrystals (see Figure) with regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene). Improved transport arising from denser aggregation between the elongated particles is a probable source of the enhanced energy conversion.
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Pressure-induced structural phase transitions have been studied in CdSe, CdS, InP and Si semiconductor nanocrystals. Nanocrystals transform via single nucleation of the phase transition with a kinetic barrier that increases in increasing cluster size. The structural transition path causes a shape change in the nanocrystals, which dictates the surface energy and thus the kinetic and thermodynamic stability of the transformed nanocrystal. These finite size effects can be used to tune the metastability of the nanocrystals versus pressure. Enhanced metastability allows structural and optical measurements in a regime inaccessible to the bulk solid, as well as possible recovery of the dense high pressure phase to atmospheric pressure.
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We report the observation of size dependent structural disorder by x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) in InAs and CdSe nanocrystals 17-80 Å in diameter. XANES of the In and Cd M4,5 edges yields features that are sharp for the bulk solid but broaden considerably as the size of the particle decreases. FEFF7 multiple-scattering simulations reproduce the size dependent broadening of the spectra if a bulklike surface reconstruction of a spherical nanocrystal model is included. This illustrates that XANES is sensitive to the structure of the entire nanocrystal including the surface.
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Femtosecond-resolved Faraday rotation is used to probe spin dynamics in chemically synthesized CdSe quantum dots 22-80 Å in diameter from T=6-282 K. The precession of optically injected spins in a transverse magnetic field indicates that the measured relaxation lifetime of the spin polarization is dominated by inhomogeneous dephasing, ranging from ~3 ns at zero field to <100 ps at 4 T. Fourier analysis reveals a multiperiodic Larmor precession, with several distinct g factors ranging from ~1.1 to 1.7.
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The on-off intermittent behavior of emission from single CdSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals was investigated as a function of temperature and excitation intensity. Off times were found to be independent of excitation power and the temperature dependence reveals substantial reduction in the number of on-off cycles prior to final particle darkening at low temperatures. On times are found to vary linearly with excitation intensity over a broad range and the turn off rate shows activated Arrhenius behavior down to T = 50?K. These observations are consistent with a darkening mechanism that is a combination of Auger photoionization and thermal trapping of charge. The inhomogeneity of various possible trap sites is discussed. A thermally activated neutralization process is required for the particle to return to the on state. The influence of shell composition on intermittency is compared for CdS and ZnS.
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A scheme for generating complex, spatially separated patterns of multiple types of semiconducting and/or metallic nanocrystals is presented. The process is based on lithographic patterning of organic monolayers that contain a photolabile protection group and are covalently bound to SiO2 surfaces. The process results in spatially and chemically distinct interaction sites on a single substrate. Nanocrystal assembly occurs with a high selectivity on just one type of site. We report on the production of binary, tertiary, and quatemary patterns of nanocrystals. We highlight and discuss the differences between nanocrystal/substrate assembly and molecule/substrate assembly. Finally, we investigate the assembled structures using photoluminescence and absorption spectroscopy.
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1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation studies of thiophenol-capped CdS nanocrystals are presented. The transverse and longitudinal relaxation times were investigated as a function of nanocrystal radius, and the transverse relaxation time was also studied as a function of temperature. Both proton and carbon T2 values were found to increase with nanocrystal radius, contrary to initial expectations. This effect is explained in terms of motion of the thiophenol with respect to the nanocrystalline surface. Theoretical expressions for relaxation due to anisotropic motion are developed based on both bridging and terminal bonding configurations of the thiophenol ligands, and the data are fit to these models. The data are found to be consistent with thiophenol ligands bound in a terminal fashion to a single Cd atom. The temperature dependence of the proton T2 value is also suprising. T2 is found to decrease with increasing temperature, and the size of this change scales with the nanocrystal radius. This is explained in terms of an extra component of relaxation due to thermally excited electrons.
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No abstract available.
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Semiconductor nanocrystals were prepared for use as fluorescent probes in biological staining and diagnostics. Compared with conventional fluorophores, the nanocrystals have a narrow, tunable, symmetric emission spectrum and are photochemically stable. The advantages of the broad, continuous excitation spectrum were demonstrated in a dual-emission, single-excitation labeling experiment on mouse fibroblasts. These nanocrystal probes are thus complementary and in some cases may be superior to existing fluorophores.
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The size dependence of the electronic spectrum of InAs nanocrystals ranging in radius from 10-35 Å has been studied by size-selective spectroscopy. An eight-band effective mass theory of the quantum size levels has been developed which describes the observed absorption level structure and transition intensities very well down to smallest crystal size using bulk band parameters. This model generalizes the six-band model which works well in CdSe nanocrystals and should adequately describe most direct semiconductor nanocrystals with band edge at the Γ-point of the Brillouin zone.
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The development, characterization, and exploitation of novel materials based on the assembly of molecular components is an exceptionally active and rapidly expanding field. For this reason, the topic of molecule-based materials (MBMs) was chosen as the subject of a workshop sponsored by the Chemical Sciences Division of the United States Department of Energy. The purpose of the workshop was to review and discuss the diverse research trajectories in the field from a chemical perspective, and to focus on the critical elements that are likely to be essential for rapid progress. The MBMs discussed encompass a diverse set of compositions and structures, including clusters, supramolecular assemblies, and assemblies incorporating biomolecule-based components. A full range of potentially interesting materials properties, including electronic, magnetic, optical, structural, mechanical, and chemical characteristics were considered. Key themes of the workshop included synthesis of novel components, structural control, characterization of structure and properties, and the development of underlying principles and models. MBMs, defined as "useful substances prepared from molecules or molecular ions that maintain aspects of the parent molecular framework" are of special significance because of the capacity for diversity in composition, structure, and properties, both chemical and physical. Key attributes are the ability in MBMs to access the additional dimension of multiple length scales and available structural complexity via organic chemistry synthetic methodologies and the innovative assembly of such diverse components. The interaction among the assembled components can thus lead to unique behavior. A consequence of the complexity is the need for a multiplicity of both existing and new tools for materials synthesis, assembly, characterization, and theoretical analysis. For some technologically useful properties, e.g., ferro- or ferrimagnetism and superconductivity, the property is not a property of a molecule or ion; it is a cooperative solid-state (bulk) property - a property of the entire solid. Hence, the desired properties are a consequence of the interactions between the molecules or ions, and understanding the solid-state structure as well as methods to predict, control, and modulate the structure are essential to understanding and manipulating such behaviors. As challenging as this is, molecules enable a substantially greater ability of control than atoms as building blocks for new materials and thus are well positioned to contribute significantly to new materials. The diversity of components and processes leads to the recognition of the critical role of cross-disciplinary research, including not only that between traditionally different areas within chemistry, but also between chemistry and biochemistry, physics, and a number of engineering disciplines. Enhancing communication and active collaboration between these groups was seen as a critical goal for the research area.
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We report experiments on bilayer light emitting diodes made with organically capped CdSe(CdS) core/shell type semiconductor nanocrystals and an electroluminescent (EL) semiconducting polymer [poly(p-phenylenevinylene) or PPV]. The devices emit from red to green with external quantum efficiencies of up to 0.22% at brightnesses of 600 cd/m2 and current densities of 1 A/cm2. They have operating voltages as low as 4 V and lifetimes under constant current flow of hundreds of hours. Most of these numbers are significant improvements over similar devices made with CdSe nanocrystals. The devices show either nanocrystal-only EL or a combination of nanocrystal and PPV EL, depending on nanocrystal layer thickness. The nanocrystal EL is dependent on nanocrystal size. Some devices show a voltage dependent spectral output. The spectral output is consistent with a field dependent electron range in the nanocrystal layer limited by carrier trapping.
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By size-selective precipitation homodimeric CdSe nanocrystals could be isolated from a mixture of oligomers formed when monodisperse CdSe nanocrystals (see right) were linked by the bifunctional organic ligand, bis(acyl hydrazide). TEM images revealed a reproducible separation between CdSe particles of approximately a quarter of the particle diameter. This distance is consistent with the physical dimensions of the linker.
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The synthesis of epitaxially grown, wurtzite CdSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals is reported. Shells of up to three monolayers in thickness were grown on cores ranging in diameter from 23 to 39 Å. Shell growth was controllable to within a tenth of a monolayer and was consistently accompanied by a red shift of the absorption spectrum, an increase of the room temperature photoluminescence quantum yield (up to at least 50%), and an increase in the photostability. Shell growth was shown to be uniform and epitaxial by the use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and optical spectroscopy. The experimental results indicate that in the excited state the hole is confined to the core and the electron is delocalized throughout the entire structure. The photostability can be explained by the confinement of the hole, while the delocalization of the electron results in a degree of electronic accessibility that makes these nanocrystals attractive for use in optoelectronic devices.
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The structural and optical properties of heterogeneous semiconductor nanoparticles consisting of CdS and HgS are investigated by High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and selective spectroscopy like Hole Burning (HB) and Fluorescence Line Narrowing (FLN). The HRTEM study shows that epitaxy is possible in nanocrystals, provided the crystallites have well defined faceted shapes to begin with. From the HB- and FLN experiments homogeneous absorption and fluorescence spectra are calculated. It could be shown that the absorption is coupled to HgS-like phonons (250 cm-1) whereas the emission frequency is closer to the LO phonon frequency of CdS.
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The techniques of colloidal chemistry permit the routine creation of semiconductor nanocrystals1,2 whose dimensions are much smaller than those that can be realized using lithographic techniques. The sizes of such nanocrystals can be varied systematically to study quantum size effects or to make novel electronic or optical materials with tailored properties. Preliminary studies of both the electrical and optical properties of individual nanocrystals have been performed recently. These studies show clearly that a single excess charge on a nanocrystal can markedly influence its properties. Here we present measurements of electrical transport in a single-electron transistor made from a colloidal nanocrystal of cadmium selenide. This device structure enables the number of charge carriers on the nanocrystal to be tuned directly, and so permits the measurement of the energy required for adding successive charge carriers. Such measurements are invaluable in understanding the energy-level spectra of small electronic systems, as has been shown by similar studies of lithographically patterned quantum dots and small metallic grains.
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We study the processes of charge separation and transport in composite materials formed by mixing cadmium selenide nanocrystals with the conjugated polymer poly(2-methoxy, 5-(2'-ethyl)-hexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV). When the surface of the nanocrystals is treated so as to remove the surface ligand, we find that the polymer photoluminescence is quenched, consistent with rapid charge separation at the polymer/nanocrystal interface. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of these quantum dot/conjugated polymer composites shows clear evidence for phase segregation, providing a large area of interface for charge separation to occur. Thin-film photovoltaic devices using the composite materials show quantum efficiencies which are significantly improved over those for pure polymer devices, consistent with improved charge separation. At high concentrations of nanocrystals, where both the nanocrystal and polymer components provide continuous pathways to the electrodes, we find short circuit quantum efficiencies of up to 12%.
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The kinetics of a first-order, solid-solid phase transition were investigated in the prototypical nanocrystal system CdSe as a function of crystallite size. In contrast to extended solids, nanocrystals convert from one structure to another by single nucleation events, and the transformations obey simple unimolecular kinetics. Barrier heights were observed to increase with increasing nanocrystal size, although they also depend on the nature of the nanocrystal surface. These results are analogous to magnetic phase transitions in nanocrystals and suggest general rules that may be of use in the discovery of new metastable phases.
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The near band-gap level structure in high-quality colloidal InAs nanocrystal quantum dots within the very strong confinement regime is investigated. Size-selective photoluminescence excitation and fluorescence line narrowing measurements reveal a size-dependent splitting between the absorbing and the emitting states. The splitting is assigned to the confinement-enhanced electron-hole exchange interaction. The size dependence of the splitting significantly deviates from the idealized 1/r3 scaling law fortheexchange splitting. A model incorporating a finite barrier whichallows for wavefunction leakage is introduced. The modelreproducesthe observed 1/r2 dependence of the splitting and goodagreementwith the experimental data is obtained. The smaller barriers forembedded InAs dots grown by molecular-beam epitaxy, arepredictedto result in smaller exchange splitting as compared with colloidaldots with a similar number of atoms
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The electronic level structure and dephasing dynamics of InP nanocrystals in the strong quantum-confinement regime are studied by two complementary techniques: nanosecond hole burning and the femtosecond three-pulse photon echo. Hole burning yields the homogeneous electronic level structure while the photon echo allows the extraction of the linewidth of the band-gap transition. The congestion of electronic levels observed close to the band-edge transition in the hole-burning experiments gives rise to a pulse-width-limited initial decay in the photon-echo signal. The level structure is calculated and assigned using a model which includes valence-band mixing. The homogeneous linewidth of the band-edge transition is approximately 5 meV at 20 K and is broadened considerably at higher temperatures. The temperature dependence of the linewidth is consistent with an intrinsic dephasing mechanism of coupling to low-frequency acoustic modes mediated by the deformation potential. Quantum-confinement effects in III-V semiconductor InP are compared to those of the prototypical CdSe II-VI semiconductor nanocrystal system.
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In contrast to extended solids, nanometer size crystals convert from one structure to another by single nucleation events, and the transformation obey simple kinetics. Barrier heights are observed to increase in nanocrystals of larger size, but also depend on the nature of the nanocrystal surface. These results are analogous to magnetic phase transitions in nanocrystals and suggest some general rules which may be of use in the discovery of new metastable phases.
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Nanometer-size crystals of inorganic solids are the topic of much current research in materials physics and chemistry. The physical properties of such crystals vary systematically as a function of the size, according to scaling laws. New chemical techniques are being developed to control the assembly of such nanocrystals. In the future, these nanocrystals will be the building blocks for materials with designed functions.
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The kinetics of solid-solid phase transitions are explored using pressure-induced structural transformations in Si nanocrystals. In agreement with the predictions of homogeneous deformation theories, large elevations in phase transition pressure are observed in nanocrystals as compared to bulk Si, and high pressure x-ray diffraction peak widths indicate an overall change in nanocrystal shape upon transformation. In addition, unlike the BC8 phase recovered in bulk Si, amorphous Si nanoclusters are obtained upon release of pressure, providing an example of kinetic size control over solid phases.
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Silicon-29 magic-angle-spinning NMR spectroscopy has been used to investigate the silicon-aluminum distribution in natural samples of analcite and leucite (before and after heat treatment) as well as a leucite synthesized from a gel. Three different simulation programs have been developed to fit the experimental spectra. For two we assume a different aluminum occupancy fraction gi for each of the three crystallographically distinct tetrahedral sites Ti in leucite and some degree of aluminum avoidance, but an otherwise random arrangement of tetrahedral cations. A third program interchanges Al and Si cations on a lattice of 3x3x3 unit cells to generate an optimized fit. All models predict that the T2 sites in natural leucite are deficient in aluminum: g1 ≈ 0.39, g2≈ 0.16, and g3≈ 0.42 for the fractional Al occupancy at each site, with apparently strict aluminum avoidance. Heat treatment of the sample at 1673 K for a week has little effect on the gi values but may create some Al-O-Al linkages. In the gel-synthesized leucite, Al occupancies are slightly more uniform than in natural leucite: g1≈ 0.36, g2≈ 0.20, and g3≈ 0.42.
For analcite, two distinctly different Si, Al distributions are obtained: (A) g1=g3≈ 0.09, g2≈ 0.78 and (B) g1=g3≈ 0.46, g2≈ 0.04. Additional NMR measurements on an ion-exchanged sample or an accurate determination of unit-cell dimensions could resolve this ambiguity.
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Epitaxial growth in a CdS/HgS heterostructure of nanometer dimensions, prepared by methods of wet chemistry, is demonstrated. High-resolution transmission-electron microscopy is used to determine the shape and crystallinity of this system consisting of a quantum well in a quantum dot. The homogeneous absorption and fluorescence spectra are investigated by transient hole burning and fluorescence line-narrowing spectroscopy. The photophysical measurements provide evidence for charge-carrier localization within the HgS well.
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We present electrical measurements of single Au and CdSe nanocrystals. The devices are fabricated using a hybrid scheme which combines electron beam lithography and wet chemistry to bind nanocrystals in tunneling contact between two closely spaced metallic leads. The current-voltage characteristics of these devices exhibit a Coulomb staircase with a charging energy of ~50 meV. This technique is readily adapted to the study of a host of nanocrystals made by solution chemistry.
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We discuss the use of a conducting-tip atomic force microscope (AFM) for the imaging and electrical measurement of chemically derived nanostructures. First, scanning probe microscopy of CdSe and Au nanocrystals bound to a substrate with a self assembled monolayer will be discussed. It is found that imaging in liquids is necessary to avoid removing the nanocrystals. We then address some issues in performing electrical measurements in liquids. In particular, we examine the conducting properties of the AFM tip when imaging a flat surface, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, in a non-polar liquid, hexadecane. We find that the solvation layers between the tip and the substrate strongly influence the electrical properties.
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Quantum-confined InP nanocrystals from 20 to 50 Å in diameter have been synthesized via the reaction of InCl3 and P(Si(CH3)3)3 in trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) at elevated temperatures. The nanocrystals are highly crystalline, monodisperse, and soluble in various organic solvents. Improved size distributions have been obtained by size-selectively reprecipitating the nanocrystals. The UV/vis absorption spectra of the particles show the characteristic blue shift of the band gap of up to 1 eV due to quantum confinement, a moderately well-resolved first excitonic excited state, and, in some cases, the resolution of a higher excited state. Structurally, the nanocrystals are characterized with powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Raman spectroscopy reveals TO and LO modes near the characteristic bulk InP positions as well a surface mode resulting from finite size. The Raman line widths, line positions, and relative intensities are all size-dependent . X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows the nanocrystals have a nearly stoichiometric ratio of indium to phosphorus with TOPO surface coverages ranging from 30% to 100%. We have also used XPS to correlate the oxidation of the nanocrystal surface with photoluminescence intensity. Photoluminescence is observed as both band edge and deep trap emission with both features shifting with nanocrystal size. The luminescence is highly dependent on the surface of the nanocrystal with oxidation being a necessary condition for emission.
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InAs nanocrystal quantum dots have been prepared via colloidal chemical synthesis using the reaction of InCl3 and As[Si(CH3)3]3. Sizes ranging from 25 to 60 Å in diameter are produced and isolated with size distributions of ±10%-15% in diameter. The nanocrystals are crystalline and generally spherical with surfaces passivated by trioctylphosphine giving them solubility in common organic solvents. The dots have been structurally characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) and the optical absorption and emission have been examined. Quantum confinement effects are evident with absorption onsets well to the blue of the bulk band gap and size dependent absorption and emission features. The emission is dominated by band edge luminescence. These quantum dots are particularly interesting as they provide an opportunity to make important comparisons with comparably sized InAs quantum dots synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy techniques.
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We study the processes of charge separation and transport in composite materials formed by mixing cadmium selenide or cadmium sulfide nanocrystals with the conjugated polymer poly(2-methoxy,5-(2'-ethyl)-hexyloxy-p-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV). When the surface of the nanocrystals is treated so as to remove the surface ligand, we find that the polymer photoluminescence is quenched, consistent with rapid charge separation at the polymer/nanocrystal interface. Transmission electron microscopy of these quantum-dot/conjugated-polymer composites shows clear evidence for phase segregation with length scales in the range 10-200 nm, providing a large area of interface for charge separation to occur. Thin-film photovoltaic devices using the composite materials show quantum efficiencies that are significantly improved over those for pure polymer devices, consistent with improved charge separation. At high concentrations of nanocrystals, where both the nanocrystal and polymer components provide continuous pathways to the electrodes, we find quantum efficiencies of up to 12%. We describe a simple model to explain the recombination in these devices, and show how the absorption, charge separation, and transport properties of the composites can be controlled by changing the size, material, and surface ligands of the nanocrystals.
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In between the molecular and bulk forms of matter, semiconductor nanocrystals are novel materials with interesting optical and electronic properties. We present a study of the homogeneous optical properties of two nanocrystal systems. First, the homogeneous absorption of InP nanocrystals is studied via hole burning experiments. The optical spectrum consists of a HOMO-LUMO transition with a 10 meV width and a second electronic transition shifted by 0.11 eV. The optical transitions are assigned within a three valence-band model.
The CdS/HgS/CdS quantum-dot/quantum-well system is also investigated and a transmission electron microscopy study shows that the growth of the HgS well region and the CdS outer layer is epitaxial. Selective optical techniques are used to study the electronic level structure. In hole burning, a discrete transition (width of 7 meV) with pronounced phonon side bands at a frequency of 250 cm-1 is observed. In fluorescence, the line narrowed spectrum also shows phonon replicas at a similar frequency. The measurements provide direct evidence for charge localization in the low band gap HgS well region within this colloidally synthesized nano-heterostructure.
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Patterning matter on the nanometre scale is an important objective of current materials chemistry and physics. It is driven by both the need to further miniaturize electronic components and the fact that at the nanometre scale, materials properties are strongly size-dependent and thus can be tuned sensitively. In nanoscale crystals, quantum size effects and the large number of surface atoms influence the, chemical, electronic, magnetic and optical behaviour. 'Top-down' (for example, lithographic) methods for nanoscale manipulation reach only to the upper end of the nanometre regime; but whereas 'bottom-up' wet chemical techniques allow for the preparation of mono-disperse, defect-free crystallites just 1-10 nm in size, ways to control the structure of nanocrystal assemblies are scarce. Here we describe a strategy for the synthesis of'nanocrystal molecules', in which discrete numbers of gold nanocrystals are organized into spatially defined structures based on Watson-Crick base-pairing interactions. We attach single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides of defined length and sequence to individual nanocrystals, and these assemble into dimers and trimers on addition of a complementary single-stranded DNA template. We anticipate that this approach should allow the construction of more complex two-and three-dimensional assemblies.
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Semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit a wide range of size-dependent properties. Variations in fundamental characteristics ranging from phase transitions to electrical conductivity can be induced by controlling the size of the crystals. The present status and new opportunities for research in this area of materials physical chemistry are reviewed.
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Current research into semiconductor clusters is focused on the properties of quantum dots-fragments of semiconductor consisting of hundreds to many thousands of atoms-with the bulk bonding geometry and with surface states eliminated by enclosure in a material that has a larger band gap. Quantum dots exhibit strongly size-dependent optical and electrical properties. The ability to join the dots into complex assemblies creates many opportunities for scientific discovery.
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Pressure-induced structural transformations in semiconductor nanocrystals are examined. High-pressure Raman spectroscopy, EXAFS, Xray diffraction, and optical absorption are discussed as methods for studying these transformations in CdSe, CdS, and Si nanocrystals. In these nanocrystal systems, each technique shows an elevation in solid-solid structural transformation pressure as crystallite size decreases. By analogy with melting in nanocrystals, this elevation in transformation pressure is explained in terms of an increase in surface energy in the newly formed high-pressure phase crystallites. The increase in surface energy is in turn the result of transition path-induced changes in the shape of the nanocrystals. These changes convert spherical nanocrystals with low-index, low-energy surfaces into oblate or prolate crystallites with higher-index, higher-energy surfaces. The elevation in structural transformation pressure in nanocrystals is thus a kinetic rather than a thermodynamic phenomenon.
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Structural transformations in CdSe nanocrystals are studied using high pressure x-ray diffraction and high pressure optical absorption at room temperature. The nanocrystals undergo a wurtzite to rock salt transition analogous to that observed in bulk CdSe. Both the thermodynamics and the kinetics of the transformation, however, are significantly different in finite size. The nanocrystal phase transition pressures vary from 3.6 to 4.9 GPa for crystallites ranging from 21 to 10 Å in radius, respectively, in comparison to a value of 2.0 GPa for bulk CdSe. The size dependent data can be modeled using thermodynamics when surface energies are accounted for. Surface energies calculated in this way can be used to understand the dynamic microscopic path followed by atoms during the phase transition. X-ray diffraction data also shows that unlike bulk CdSe, crystalline domain size is conserved upon multiple transition in the nanocrystals, indicating that the transition only nucleates once in each nanocrystal.
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High-resolution electron microscopy and resonance Raman spectroscopy are used to assign annealed wurtzite CdSe nanocrystals to the C3v point group. Deviations from spherical symmetry have spectroscopic consequences for this prototypical quantum dot system.
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Nanophase GaAs produced by organometallic synthesis was studied by 71Ga, 69Ga, and 75As nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as well as x-ray diffraction. The structure of the samples synthesized below 250?°C is predominantly amorphous. Raising the temperature of synthesis (or post-synthesis annealing) above 280?°C improves significantly the crystallinity as evidenced by the appearance of a sharp bulklike 71Ga (and 69Ga) peak. In addition, a sharp peak shifted up-field also appears. Other NMR features of this up-field shifted peak are very similar to the bulklike peak including quadrupole interactions and spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxations. These results are consistent with the presence of stacking faults in nanocrystalline GaAs.
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The size dependent electronic absorption spectra of CdSe nanocrystals have been measured in a diamond anvil cell. Under pressure, these nanocrystals are reversibly converted from a direct gap wurtzite structure to a rock salt structure which has an indirect gap in the bulk. It is thus possible to compare the influence of quantum confinement on direct and indirect transitions in nanocrystals of the same size. The ratio of oscillator strength between direct and indirect structures does not change with size, indicating that zero-phonon transitions are not occurring in the indirect nanocrystals.
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Measurements of the size dependence of a solid-solid phase transition are presented. High-pressure x-ray diffraction and optical absorption are used to study the wurtzite to rock salt structural transformation in CdSe nanocrystals. These experiments show that both the thermodynamics and kinetics of this transformation are altered in finite size, as compared to bulk CdSe. An explanation of these results in the context of transformations in bulk systems is presented. Insight into the kinetics of transformations in both bulk and nanocrystal systems can be gained.
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Femtosecond photon-echo techniques are used to probe the dynamics of quantum-confined excitons in nanocrystals of CdSe. Using three-pulse photon echoes, the modulation of the echo signal from the LO-phonon mode is effectively suppressed, and both the electronic dephasing and the couplings to lattice vibrations are probed directly. Detailed measurements are reported as a function of both nanocrystal size and temperature. The dephasing times vary from 85 fs in nanocrystals of 20-Å diameter to 270 fs in 40-Å crystals. These rates are determined by several dynamical processes, all of which depend sensitively on the size of the nanocrystal. The time scale of the trapping of the electronic excitation to surface states increases with increasing size. The coupling of the excitation to low-frequency vibrational modes is strongly size dependent as well, in accordance with a theoretical model. The photon echo also gives information on the polar coupling between the electronic state and the LO-phonon mode. This coupling is found to peak at an intermediate size. This phenomenon is interpreted as a manifestation of coupling between the interior confined excitons and localized surface states, which destroys the spherical symmetry of the excited state. Using these data, all of the important contributions to the size-dependent homogeneous linewidths can be enumerated.
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We report the use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the surface composition of semiconductor nanocrystals. Crystalline, nearly monodisperse CdSe nanocrystals ranging in radius from 9 to 30 A were chemically,synthesized and covalently bound to Au and Si surfaces for study. XPS core level peak positions for Cd and Se were in agreement with those of bulk CdSe. We have determined that the majority of Se atoms on the surface are unbonded as prepared and that Cd atoms are bonded to the surface ligand, tri-n-octylphosphine oxide, to the extent that such bonding is sterically allowed. We have determined that the total ligand saturation of the nanocrystal surface varies from 60% in the smaller nanocrystals to 30% in the larger nanocrystals. In addition, we have determined that upon exposure of the nanocrystals to air Se surface sites are oxidized, forming a SeOz surface film which causes the nanocrystals to degrade over time. The nanocrystal surface can be modified by dispersing the crystals in pyridine. Nearly all of the P ligands are removed in this case, leaving behind primarily unsaturated Cd and Se surface atoms. In this case, both Cd and Se oxidize upon exposure to air.
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Luminescence excitation spectra are employed to study the electronic states of CdSe nanocrystals ranging in size from 9 to 26 Å radius at 77 K. These studies show that all samples have, in addition to the discrete manifold of quantum confined electronic excitations, a threshold for continuum absorption. Absorption into this continuum results in substantially reduced luminescence efficiency.
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Three different size distributions of Ge quantum dots (?200, 110, and 60 Å) have been synthesized via the ultrasonic mediated reduction of mixtures of chlorogermanes and organochlorogermanes (or organochlorosilanes) by a colloidal sodium/potassium alloy in heptane, followed by annealing in a sealed pressure vessel at 270?°C. The quantum dots are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray powder diffraction, x-ray photoemission, infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Colloidal suspensions of these quantum dots were prepared and their extinction spectra are measured with ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) and near infrared (IR) spectroscopy, in the regime from 0.6 to 5 eV. The optical spectra are correlated with a Mie theory extinction calculation utilizing bulk optical constants. This leads to an assignment of three optical features to the E(1), E(0'), and E(2) direct band gap transitions. The E(0') transitions exhibit a strong size dependence. The near IR spectra of the largest dots is dominated by E(0) direct gap absorptions. For the smallest dots the near IR spectrum is dominated by the G25?L indirect transitions. ?
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Electroluminescent devices have been developed recently that are based on new materials such as porous silicon and semiconducting polymers. By taking advantage of developments in the preparation and characterization of direct-gap semiconductor nanocrystals, and of electroluminescent polymers, we have now constructed a hybrid organic/inorganic electroluminescent device. Light emission arises from the recombination of holes injected into a layer of semiconducting p-paraphenylene vinylene (PPV) with electrons injected into a multilayer film of cadmium selenide nanocrystals. Close matching of the emitting layer of nanocrystals with the work function of the metal contact leads to an operating voltage11 of only 4V. At low voltages emission from the CdSe layer occurs. Because of the quantum size effect the colour of this emission can be varied from red to yellow by changing the nanocrystal size. At higher voltages green emission from the polymer layer predominates. Thus this device has a degree of voltage tunability of colour.
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The Stark effect on the electronic absorption spectrum of CdSe nanocrystals has been studied for nanocrystals ranging in size from 80 to 20 Å in diameter. For all but the smallest clusters, a second derivative line shape is observed, indicative of a dipole moment in the excited state. This result is independent of the surface modification and appears in both CdS and CdSe systems. The ?µ ranges from 15±10 D in the smallest clusters and up to 100±10 D in the largest; however, the increase is not monotonic, and in the very largest clusters studied (d?70 Å), the dipole moment decreases. The dipolar character is lost in clusters less than 25 Å. These results can be explained by a model in which there is resonance of an interior state with a surface state at a particular size, with the mixing occurring on a preferred axis.
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This paper describes the application of optically pumped xenon NMR to probe the surface of semiconductor nanocrystals by physisorption at 123 K. These experiments were made possible by using highly spin ordered ‘29Xe, prepared by optical pumping and spin exchange of a rubidium xenon gas mixture, to increase the NMR signal strength. CdS nanocrystals were prepared by regulated growth in inverse micelles and precipitated by surface derivatization with thiophenol. Nanocrystals of 11.8, 12.8, and 23 A radii with 26% 63%, and 57% thiophenol surface coverage, respectively, were characterized. Within this sample parameter space, the lZ9Xe spectra, recorded at varying xenon coverages, depended strongly on thiophenol surface coverage but were not sensitive to the crystallite size. In addition, the nanocrystals with low thiophenol coverage yielded a xenon line shape consisting of two components, interpreted as xenon signals arising from distinct surface domains. These domains are presumably formed by the aggregation of thiophenol molecules on the nanocrystal surface when the thiophenol coverage is incomplete, a model which is consistent with existing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and liquid state ‘H NMR data.
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High pressure optical absorption spectra are presented for CdSe nanocrystals as a function of size. The spectra show a transition to a high pressure Rock Salt type phase at pressure greatly elevated from the bulk. The size dependence of the transition pressure can be explained in part by an increased surface tension in the Rock Salt phase relative to the low pressure tetrahedral phase.
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The size dependence of the resonance Raman spectrum of CdS nanocrystals ranging in size from 10 to 70 Å radius has been studied. We find that while the lowest electronic excited state is coupled strongly to the lattice, this coupling decreases as the nanocrystal size is decreased. We demonstrate that the lifetime of the initially prepared excited state can influence the apparent strength of electron-vibration coupling. Absolute resonance Raman cross section measurements can be used to determine the value of the excited state lifetime, thus removing this parameter. The coupling to the lattice, while less in nanocrystals than in the bulk, is still greater than what is predicted assuming an infinite confining potential. The width of the observed LO mode broadens with decreasing size, indicating that the resonance Raman process is intrinsically multimode in its nature. The frequency of the observed longitudinal optic (LO) mode has a very weak dependence on size, in contrast to results obtained from multiple quantum well systems. The temperature dependence of the frequency and linewidth of the observed LO mode is similar to the bulk and indicates that the LO mode decays into acoustic vibrations in 2.5 ps.
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Resonance Raman intensity and depolarization of the LO mode fundamental as a function of incident photon energy provide a means of determining the symmetry of the lowest optically excited states. Preliminary results for the first three states indicate that the first and third states are nondegenerate and the second state is doubly degenerate.
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We report the first direct measurements of femtosecond electronic dephasing in CdSe nanocrystals using three-pulse photon echoes and a novel mode-suppression technique. We are able to separate the dynamics of the coherently excited LO phonons from the underlying electron-hole dephasing by suppressing the quantum beats. The homogeneous linewidth of these materials at 15 K results from electronic dephasing in ~85 fs, approximately half of which is due to acoustic phonon modes. Contributions from acoustic phonons dominate the homogeneous linewidth at room temperature.
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Vibrational Raman studies on C60 up to 18.0 GPa and between 4 and 360 K are presented. No significant changes are observed up to 10 GPa; mode-Grüneisen parameters are calculated. The low pressure, temperature-dependent Raman spectrum shows a sharp shift in peak position and width at 240 K. This is near the point were C60 molecules are reported to begin rotating freely. The data can be explained in terms of rotational-vibrational coupling. Comparison of high pressure and low temperature data suggests the formation of a rotational glass at high pressures.
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1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation studies of thiophenol-capped CdS nanocrystals are presented. The transverse and longitudinal relaxation times were investigated as a function of nanocrystal radius, and the transverse relaxation time was also studied as a function of temperature. Both proton and carbon T2 values were found to increase with nanocrystal radius, contrary to initial expectations. This effect is explained in terms of motion of the thiophenol with respect to the nanocrystalline surface. Theoretical expressions for relaxation due to anisotropic motion are developed based on both bridging and terminal bonding configurations of the thiophenol ligands, and the data are fit to these models. The data are found to be consistent with thiophenol ligands bound in a terminal fashion to a single Cd atom. The temperature dependence of the proton T2 value is also suprising. T2 is found to decrease with increasing temperature, and the size of this change scales with the nanocrystal radius. This is explained in terms of an extra component of relaxation due to thermally excited electrons.
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CdS crystallites of 4-nm diameter have been studied under high pressure up to 10 GPa by optical absorption and resonance Raman scattering. The solid-solid phase transition from the zinc blende to the rock salt phase is observed at pressures far in excess of the bulk phase transition pressure of 3 GPa. The pressure of the phase transition depends on the nature of the moiety used to derivatize the surface. In addition, because the compression of the lattice with pressure is the same as in the bulk crystal, it is possible to observe the dependence of the zinc blende crystallite properties up to pressures far higher than in the bulk. The elevated phase transition pressure and its dependence on the surface stabilizer can be explained by a higher value of the surface tension for the rock salt phase nanocrystals compared to the zinc blende.
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New physics occurs in semiconductors when one or more dimensions of the crystal are reduced to a size comparable to bulk electron delocalization lengths (tens to hundreds of angstroms). The properties of "quantum dots" or semiconductor nanocrystals are now being studied, as techniques to fabricate the crystallites are developed. Temperature-dependent electron diffraction studies on nanocrystals of CdS show a large depression in the melting temperature with decreasing size, as a larger fraction of the total number of atoms is on the surface. Thermal stability may play a role in determining the uses of semiconductor nanocrystals.
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A method is described for attaching semiconductor nanocrystals to metal surfaces using self-assembled difunctional organic monolayers as bridge compounds. Three different techniques are presented. Two rely on the formation of self-assembled monolayers on gold and aluminum in which the exposed tail groups are thiols. When exposed to heptane solutions of cadmium-rich nanocrystals, these free thiols bind the cadmium and anchor it to the surface. The third technique attaches nanocrystals already coated with carboxylic acids to freshly cleaned aluminum. The nanocrystals, before deposition on the metals, were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, resonance Raman scattering, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electron diffraction. Afterward, the nanocrystal films were characterized by resonance Raman scattering, Rutherford back scattering (RBS), contact angle measurements, and TEM. All techniques indicate the presence of quantum confined clusters on the metal surfaces with a coverage of approximately 0.5 monolayers. These samples represent the first step toward synthesis of an organized assembly of clusters as well as allow the first application of electron spectroscopies to be completed on this type of cluster. As an example of this, the first X-ray photoelectron spectra of semiconductor nanocrystals are presented.
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Stark effect modulation of the optical absorption spectrum of 40 Å diam CdSe nanocrystals show the first excited state of these clusters has a dipole moment of 32±10 D.
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We have used synchrotron radiation photoemission to probe the valence and core level electronic structure of compound-semiconductor monodisperse clusters (nanocrystals). These clusters exhibited a 10% or less variation relative to the mean diameter and were attached to the metal substrates via alkane chains. Direct evidence of gap broadening due to size variation in CdS clusters was observed. The novel utilization of alkane chain attachment is the key to eliminating the otherwise debilitating problem of sample charging, as occurs with powders. The quality of sample preparation was confirmed by other methods such as transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, and x-ray diffraction. This work provides a direct link between photoemission studies of expitaxial ultrathin films of compound semiconductors, the photon-spectroscopy measurements of cluster powders and the existing theories of quantum confinement in reduced dimensionality structures.
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We report the first application of valence-band photoemission to a quantum-dot system. Photoemission spectra of cadmium sulfide quantum dots, ranging in size from 12 to 35 Å radius, were obtained using photon energies of 20 to 70 eV. The spectra are qualitatively similar to those obtained for bulk cadmium sulfide, but show a shift in the valence-band maximum with size.
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No abstract available
Go to article - Alivisatos, A. P.; Wells, R. L., Nonlinear Optical-Materials. Chemical & Engineering News 1990, 68, (38), 2-2.
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The resonance Raman spectrum of 45(+-3) Å diameter CdSe clusters was measured. The incident photons were resonant with the HOMO-LUMO transition in the clusters. At low temperature, one mode at 205 cm-1 is observed, as well as two overtones, with the integrated areas under these peaks in the ratio of 9:3:1. This mode is assigned as the longest wavelength longitudinal optical vibration of the cluster. The strength of the coupling between the lowest electronic excited state and the LO vibration is found to be 20 times weaker in these clusters than in the bulk solid. The CdSe cluster resonance Raman spectrum is shown to be consistent with the recently measured homogeneous cluster absorption spectrum.
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We describe a synthesis of nanometer-sized clusters of CdSe using organometallic reagents in inverse micellar solution and chemical modification of the surface of these cluster compounds. In particular we show how the clusters grow in the presence of added reagents and how the surface may be terminated and passivated by the addition of organoselenides. Passivation of the surface allows for the removal of the cluster molecules from the reaction medium and the isolation of organometallic molecules which are zinc blende CdSe clusters terminated by covalently attached organic ligands. Preliminary cluster characterization via resonance Raman, infrared, and NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and size-exclusion chromatography is reported.
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The pressure dependence of the HOMO-LUMO transition energy and the frequency of the longest wavelength longitudinal optical vibration of 45 Å diameter CdSe clusters in methanol-ethanol solution have been measured up to 50 Kbar. The LO mode shifts to higher frequency at a rate of 0.43 cm-1/Kbar, which corresponds to a Grüneisen parameter of 1.1. The HOMO-LUMO transition shifts to higher energy at 4.5 meV/Kbar, yielding a deformation potential of 2.3 eV. The pressure dependence of these properties closely resemble those of the corresponding bulk solid, confirming the point of view that the lattice properties of these clusters resemble those of the bulk, even though the optical properties are quite distinct.
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The homogeneous (single-cluster) and inhomogeneous contributions to the low temperature electronic absorption spectrum of 35-50 Å diameter CdSe clusters are separated using transient photophysical hole burning. The clusters have the cubic bulk crystal structure, but their electronic states are strongly quantum confined. The inhomogeneous broadening of these features arises because the spectrum depends upon cluster size and shape, and the samples contain similar, but not identical, clusters. The homogeneous spectrum, which consists of a peak 140 cm-1 (17 meV) wide, with a phonon sideband and continuum absorption to higher energy, is compared to a simple molecular orbital model. Electron-vibration coupling, which is enhanced in small clusters, contributes to the substantial broadening of the homogeneous spectrum. The inhomogeneous width of the lowest allowed optical transition was found to be 940 cm-1, or seven times the homogeneous width, in the most monodisperse sample.
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The fluorescence decays from submonolayers of pyrene separated from Si(111) by Xe spacer layers are measured as a function of spacer thickness (17-200 Å), pyrene coverage, and emission wavelength. The results are explained in terms of two decay channels: energy transfer and trapping among the molecules in the two-dimensional pyrene overlayer, and excitation of electrons from the valence to the conduction band in the Si(111) by the dipole near field of the electronically excited pyrene molecule. The intralayer energy transfer is modeled using the Kohlrausch equation N(t)=N0?exp(-t/t)a, in which a is related to the distribution of pyrene molecules in energy. Energy transfer from the molecule to the semiconductor is modeled using the classical image dipole theory. The classical model is used to calculate the energy transfer rates from a dipole to Si and GaAs as a function of dipole-semiconductor separation, and as a function of dipole emission wavelength.
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In this review we discuss the interaction of a molecular excited state with a smooth substrate. Both theoretical and experimental work is treated. This discussion will concentrate on the classical treatment of the interaction because of its astounding success in comparison with experiment. We do however discuss the shortcomings of the classical treatment and some recent approaches to correcting these limitations. The experimental work is considered in detail but we focus on the region close to the substrate, less than 500 Å away because the longer distance regime has been well reviewed. At the end of this article we briefly point out areas where future work is needed.
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The distance dependent lifetime of biacetyl separated from a Ag(111) crystal by NH3 spacer layers ranging in thickness from 28 to 457 Å has been measured. We extended previous work, where the molecular emission was resonant with the silver interband/plasmon transition, to the case where the emission is below the interband transition. The modulation of the radiative rate is described inadequately by the classical theory for our experimental geometry. At short distances where nonradiative energy transfer to the metal is important, the classical prediction deviates from the data as well. These observations are consistent with a model in which energy is transferred to electrons localized at the metal surface but might also be explained by an inability of the classical theory to model the radiative rate properly.
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Energy transfer from 3np* pyrazine to GaAs(110) has been studied. Within experimental error, a classical dielectric model quantitatively reproduces measurements of the distance-dependent lifetime for emitter-surface separations from 430 to 20 Å. Analysis of the energy transfer shows that the molecular electronic excitation is dissipated through the creation of electron-hole pairs in the solid by the high-wave-vector components of the dipole near field.
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