Quantized Reaction Pathways for Solution Synthesis of Colloidal ZnSe Nanostructures: A Connection between Clusters, Nanowires, and Two-Dimensional Nanoplatelets.

The morphology of nanocrystals serves as a powerful handle to modulate their functional properties. For semiconducting nanostructures, the shape is no less important than the size and composition, in terms of determining the electronic structure. For example, in the case of nanoplatelets (NPLs), their two-dimensional (2D) electronic structure and atomic precision along the axis of quantum confinement makes them well-suited as pure color emitters and optical gain media.

Assessment of Anisotropic Semiconductor Nanorod and Nanoplatelet Heterostructures with Polarized Emission for Liquid Crystal Display Technology.

Semiconductor nanorods can emit linear-polarized light at efficiencies over 80%. Polarization of light in these systems, confirmed through single-rod spectroscopy, can be explained on the basis of the anisotropy of the transition dipole moment and dielectric confinement effects. Here we report emission polarization in macroscopic semiconductor-polymer composite films containing CdSe/CdS nanorods and colloidal CdSe nanoplatelets.

The synthesis of organo-soluble anatase nanocrystals from amorphous titania.

Highly soluble anatase nanocrystals of 4 nm diameter have been prepared by the reaction of amorphous titania with trifluoroacetic acid. The solubility of the nanocrystals is a result of surface bound carboxylate groups, and enables the organic-inorganic hybrid material to be processed from solution to yield high quality coatings and thin-films.