Going through the wine fining: Intimate dialogue between organics and clays.

Wine chemistry inspires and challenges with its complexity and intriguing composition. In this context, the composites based on the use of a model protein, a polyphenol of interest and montmorillonite in a model hydroalcoholic solution have been studied. A set of experimental characterization techniques highlighted the interactions between the organic and the inorganic parts in the composite.

Environmental effects on the natural vibrations of nanoplatelets: a high pressure study.

Resonant acoustic modes from ultrathin CdS colloidal nanoplatelets (NPLs) are probed under high pressure using low frequency Raman spectroscopy. In particular we focus on the characterization of the recently evidenced mass load effect that is responsible for a significant downshift of the NPL breathing frequency due to the inert mass of organic ligands. We show that a key parameter in the observation of the mass effect is whether the surrounding medium is able to support THz acoustic wave propagation, at a frequency close to that of the inorganic vibrating core.

Ultrafast exciton dynamics in 2D in-plane hetero-nanostructures: delocalization and charge transfer.

In this article we study the ultrafast dynamics of excitons and charge carriers photogenerated in two-dimensional in-plane heterostructures, namely, CdSe-CdTe nanoplatelets. We combine transient absorption and two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to study charge transfer and delocalization from a few tens of femtoseconds to several nanoseconds. In contrast with spherical nanocrystals, the relative alignment of the electron and hole states of CdSe and CdTe in thin 2D nanoplatelets does not lead to a type-II heterostructure.

Morphology-induced phonon spectra of CdSe/CdS nanoplatelets: core/shell vs. core-crown.

Recently developed two-dimensional colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, or nanoplatelets (NPLs), extend the palette of solution-processable free-standing 2D nanomaterials of high performance. Growing CdSe and CdS parts subsequently in either side-by-side or stacked manner results in core-crown or core/shell structures, respectively. Both kinds of heterogeneous NPLs find efficient applications and represent interesting materials to study the electronic and lattice excitations and interaction between them under strong one-directional confinement.

The mass load effect on the resonant acoustic frequencies of colloidal semiconductor nanoplatelets.

Resonant acoustic modes of ultrathin CdS and CdSe colloidal nanoplatelets (NPLs) with varying thicknesses were probed using low frequency Raman scattering. The spectra are dominated by an intense band ascribed to the thickness breathing mode of the 2D nanostructures. The measured Raman frequencies show strong deviations with respect to the values expected for simple bare plates, all the more so as the thickness is reduced.