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 size...

K5NdLi2F10 nanocrystals were synthesized by a novel synthetic route in the liquid phase, which could improve the morphology and reduce the size effectively, for the first time. The luminescence intensities of the K5NdLi2F10 nanocrystals and their dispersion in polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) approximate to that of neodymium doped phosphate glass (3 mol%), while the lifetimes of the nanocrysta...

Luminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are encapsulated and stabilized in Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework (ZIF-8) nanocrystals. The GQDs are well confined due to the adsorption on the growing face of the ZIF-8 nanocrystals and have a profound effect on the shape of the nanocrystals from rhombic dodecahedron to spherical. Stabilizing GQDs inside the ZIF-8 nanocrystals results in tailoring of th...

We use aerosol techniques to investigate the cohesive and granular properties of solids composed of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dot solids). We form spherical agglomerates of nanocrystals with a nebulizer and direct them toward a carbon substrate at low (~0.01 m/s) or high (~100 m/s) velocities. We then study the morphology of the deposit (i.e., the "splat") after impact. By v...

Cesium lead halide nanocrystals, CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I), exhibit photoluminescence quantum efficiencies approaching 100% without the core-shell structures usually used in conventional semiconductor nanocrystals. These high photoluminescence efficiencies make these crystals ideal candidates for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, because of the large surface area to volume ratio, halogen exch...

In this paper, we synthesized a novel type II cuprous sulfide (Cu(2)S)-indium sulfide (In(2)S(3)) heterostructure nanocrystals with matchstick-like morphology in pure dodecanethiol. The photovoltaic properties of the heterostructure nanocrystals were investigated based on the blends of the nanocrystals and poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexoxy)-p-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV). In comparison with the ...

ZnO is a promising member of the semiconducting materials of II-VI group. ZnO nanocrystals have shown potential applications in various novel technologies. In the present investigation of ZnO nanocrystals, a novel chemical route using Zinc acetate as organic precursor is being reported. ZnO nanocrystals were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy UV-visible (UV–vis)...

Hydrophobic nanocrystals with various shape, size, and chemical composition were successfully functionalized by poly(amino acid) with one particle per micelle without aggregation or precipitation via a facile, general, and low-cost strategy. Via simply tuning the pH value, multifunctional nanocomposites consisting of different nanocrystals were also fabricated. Due to the poly(amino acid) coati...

CdS nanocrystals were synthesized in 1-octadecene (ODE) solution with oleic acid (OA) as a capping agent. Freshly prepared CdS nanocrystals showed a weak orangelike fluorescence due to defects on the particle surface. After several weeks' storage, the bulk fluorescence of CdS nanocrystals was dramatically enhanced, which gave the nanocrystals a blue or violet appearance. UV and photoluminescenc...

Silica xerogels containing Sm ions and SnO2 nanocrystals were prepared in a sol–gel process. The image of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows that the SnO2 nanocrystals are dispersed in the silica matrix. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the sample confirms the tetragonal phase of SnO2. The xerogels containing SnO2 nanocrystals and Sm 3+ ions display the characteristic emission of Sm ion...