Confined-but-Connected Quantum Solids via Controlled Ligand Displacement

Baumgardner, William J.; Whitham, Kevin; Hanrath, Tobias

Type

Article

Authors

Baumgardner, William J.
Whitham, Kevin
Hanrath, Tobias

KAUST Grant Number

KUS-C1-018-02

Date

2013-06-27

Online Publication Date

2013-06-27

Print Publication Date

2013-07-10

Permanent link to this record

http://hdl.handle.net/10754/597828

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Abstract

Confined-but-connected quantum dot solids (QDS) combine the advantages of tunable, quantum-confined energy levels with efficient charge transport through enhanced electronic interdot coupling. We report the fabrication of QDS by treating self-assembled films of colloidal PbSe quantum dots with polar nonsolvents. Treatment with dimethylformamide balances the rates of self-assembly and ligand displacement to yield confined-but-connected QDS structures with cubic ordering and quasi-epitaxial interdot connections through facets of neighboring dots. The QDS structure was analyzed by a combination of transmission electron microscopy and wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering. Excitonic absorption signatures in optical spectroscopy confirm that quantum confinement is preserved. Transport measurements show significantly enhanced conductivity in treated films. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Citation

Baumgardner WJ, Whitham K, Hanrath T (2013) Confined-but-Connected Quantum Solids via Controlled Ligand Displacement. Nano Lett 13: 3225–3231. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nl401298s.

Sponsors

This publication is based on work supported in part by Award No. KUS-C1-018-02, made by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). This work made use of the Cornell Center for Materials Research Shared Facilities which are supported through the NSF MRSEC program (DMR-1120296). X-ray scattering was conducted at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) which is supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of General Medical Sciences under NSF award DMR-0936384. The authors thank Detlef Smilgies for assistance with structure characterization by X-ray scattering. W.B. was supported by Award No. KUS-C1-018-02, made by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). K.W. was supported by the Basic Energy Sciences Division of the Department of Energy through Grant ER46821 "Charge Transfer Across the Boundary of Photon-Harvesting Nanocrystals".