Interface control of electronic and optical properties in IV-VI and II-VI core/shell colloidal quantum dots: a review.

Semiconductor colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) have attracted vast scientific and technological interest throughout the past three decades, due to the unique tuneability of their optoelectronic properties by variation of size and composition. However, the nanoscale size brings about a large surface-to-bulk volume ratio, where exterior surfaces have a pronounced influence on the chemical stability and on the physical properties of the semiconductor. Therefore, numerous approaches have been developed to gain efficient surface passivation, including a coverage by organic or inorganic molecular surfactants as well as the formation of core/shell heterostructures (a semiconductor core epitaxially covered by another semiconductor shell).

Cation Exchange Combined with Kirkendall Effect in the Preparation of SnTe/CdTe and CdTe/SnTe Core/Shell Nanocrystals.

Controlling the synthesis of narrow band gap semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) with a high-quality surface is of prime importance for scientific and technological interests. This Letter presents facile solution-phase syntheses of SnTe NCs and their corresponding core/shell heterostructures. Here, we synthesized monodisperse and highly crystalline SnTe NCs by employing an inexpensive, nontoxic precursor, SnCl2, the reactivity of which was enhanced by adding a reducing agent, 1,2-hexadecanediol.

Hydrogen-like Wannier-Mott Excitons in Single Crystal of Methylammonium Lead Bromide Perovskite.

A thorough investigation of exciton properties in bulk CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite single crystals was carried out by recording the reflectance, steady-state and transient photoluminescence spectra of submicron volumes across the crystal. The study included an examination of the spectra profiles at various temperatures and laser excitation fluencies. The results resolved the first and second hydrogen-like Wannier-Mott exciton transitions at low temperatures, from which the ground-state exciton's binding energy of 15.

Optical and Electronic Properties of Nonconcentric PbSe/CdSe Colloidal Quantum Dots.

Lead chalcogenide colloidal quantum dots are attractive candidates for applications operating in the near infrared spectral range. However, their function is forestalled by limited stability under ambient conditions. Prolonged temperature-activated cation-exchange of Cd(2+) for Pb(2+) forms PbSe/CdSe core/shell heterostructures, unveiling a promising surface passivation route and a method to modify the dots' electronic properties.

PbSe-Based Colloidal Core/Shell Heterostructures for Optoelectronic Applications.

Lead-based (IV-VI) colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are of widespread scientific and technological interest owing to their size-tunable band-gap energy in the near-infrared optical region. This article reviews the synthesis of PbSe-based heterostructures and their structural and optical investigations at various temperatures. The review focuses on the structures consisting of a PbSe core coated with a PbSeS (0 ≤ ≤ 1) or CdSe shell.

Tuning of electronic properties in IV-VI colloidal nanostructures by alloy composition and architecture.

Colloidal lead chalcogenide (IV-VI) quantum dots and rods are of widespread scientific and technological interest, owing to their size tunable energy band gap at the near-infrared optical regime. This article reviews the development and investigation of IV-VI derivatives, consisting of a core (dot or rod) coated with an epitaxial shell, when either the core or the shell (or both) has an alloy composition, so the entire structure has the chemical formula PbSexS1-x/PbSeyS1-y (0 ≤ x(y) ≤ 1). The article describes synthesis procedures and an examination of the structures' chemical and temperature stability.

Composition-tunable optical properties of colloidal IV-VI quantum dots, composed of core/shell heterostructures with alloy components.

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) attract worldwide scientific and technological attention due to the ability to engineer their optical properties by the variation of their size. However, several important applications, such as biological tagging and photovoltaic cells, impose a limit on their size yet demand tunability and thermal stability of the optical band edge. This work introduces a new class of heterostructures, composed of PbSe or PbSe(y)S(1-y) cores, coated by PbS or PbSe(x)S(1-x) shells, with different core-radius/shell-width division, with a radial gradient composition (with 0 < y < 1, 0 < x < 1), which offer a control of the band edge properties by varying the CQDs' composition.

Continuous-wave pumping of multiexciton bands in the photoluminescence spectrum of a single CdTe-CdSe core-shell colloidal quantum dot.

Single-exciton, biexciton, triexciton, and quadraexciton bands were resolved in the microphotoluminescence spectrum of a single CdTe/CdSe core-shell colloidal quantum dot, revealing nearly blinking-free behavior. Multiexcitons were generated by a sequential filling of electronic shells with the increase of a continuous-wave excitation power, and their probability was evaluated under steady-state conditions. A partial carriers' delocalization was determined at the core-shell interface, and an exciton binding energy was estimated by a second-order perturbation theory.

Thermally activated photoluminescence in lead selenide colloidal quantum dots.

The thermal activation processes in PbSe colloidal quantum dots and their influence on the ground-state exciton emission are discussed. Activation of a dark exciton occurs at 1.4-7 K, assisted by an acoustic phonon coupling.

Air-stable PbSe/PbS and PbSe/PbSexS1-x core-shell nanocrystal quantum dots and their applications.

The optical properties and functionality of air-stable PbSe/PbS core-shell and PbSe/PbSexS1-x core-alloyed shell nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) are presented. These NQDs showed chemical robustness over months and years and band-gap tunability in the near infrared spectral regime, with a reliance on the NQD size and composition. Furthermore, these NQDs exhibit high emission quantum efficiencies of up to 65% and an exciton emission band that is narrower than that of the corresponding PbSe NQDs.

Nanocrystals of PbSe core, PbSe/PbS, and PbSe/PbSxS(1-x) core/shell as saturable absorbers in passively Q-switched near-infrared lasers.

The saturable optical absorption properties of PbSe core nanocrystals (NCs), and their corresponding PbSe/PbScore/shell and PbSe/PbSexS(1-x) core/alloyed-shell NCs, were examined at lambda = 1.54 microm. Saturation intensities of approximately 100 MW/cm2 were obtained.