Dipolar Ligands Tune Plasmonic Properties of Tin-Doped Indium Oxide Nanocrystals.

Surface functionalization with dipolar molecules is known to tune the electronic band alignment in semiconductor films and colloidal quantum dots. Yet, the influence of surface modification on plasmonic nanocrystals and their properties remains little explored. Here, we functionalize tin-doped indium oxide nanocrystals (ITO NCs) via ligand exchange with a series of cinnamic acids with different electron-withdrawing and -donating dipolar characters.

Modular mixing in plasmonic metal oxide nanocrystal gels with thermoreversible links.

Gelation offers a powerful strategy to assemble plasmonic nanocrystal networks incorporating both the distinctive optical properties of constituent building blocks and customizable collective properties. Beyond what a single-component assembly can offer, the characteristics of nanocrystal networks can be tuned in a broader range when two or more components are intimately combined. Here, we demonstrate mixed nanocrystal gel networks using thermoresponsive metal-terpyridine links that enable rapid gel assembly and disassembly with thermal cycling.