Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Katherine L. Thompson, Rowan R. Katzbaer, Mauricio Terrones, Raymond E. Schaak
Summary: Ion exchange reactions of colloidal nanoparticles allow for modification of composition while maintaining morphology and crystal structure, which is crucial for tuning properties and producing otherwise inaccessible materials. In this study, tellurium anion exchange of copper selenide nanoparticles was conducted, resulting in the formation of solid solutions with tunable compositions. The post-exchange reactivity of the solid solution nanoparticles, including transformation of composition, surface chemistry, and colloidal dispersibility, was observed due to the apparent metastability of the product.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shuping Zhang, Danli Liang, Bing Bai, Xiuming Zhang, Yuemei Li, Jia Liu, Xiuhui Zhang, Jiatao Zhang
Summary: Optimizing the affinity between metal cations and ligands allows for precise control of the kinetics in cation exchange reactions, enabling the uniform dispersion of single metal atoms. The steric effect of metal-ligand complexes also promotes the thermodynamic stability and spatial isolation of the metal atoms. Using SnS2 as a case study, single metal atoms (M = Cu, Ag, Au, Pd) were successfully incorporated through cation exchange reactions.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Martin Testa-Anta, Ecem Tiryaki, Laura Bocher, Veronica Salgueirino
Summary: Elongated akaganeite nanostructures were synthesized with tunable length and aspect ratio through a hydrothermal route. The Cl(-) content determines the thermal stability and leads to the formation of uncompensated spins. Chemical exchange can manipulate the internal microstructure and enhance the saturation magnetization. This study challenges the magnetic core-shell model for nanostructured antiferromagnets.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Connor R. McCormick, Raymond E. Schaak
Summary: High entropy materials with random distribution of elements have unique properties, but are difficult to synthesize. Researchers have discovered a new low-temperature pathway for the synthesis of high entropy material nanoparticles using simultaneous multication exchange.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jongsik Park, Hong Ki Kim, Jisol Park, Byeongyoon Kim, Hionsuck Baik, Mu-Hyun Baik, Kwangyeol Lee
Summary: Nanoscale lattice parameter engineering is a potential tool for tailoring the electronic properties of nanomaterials. The strain in hetero-interfaces of nanocrystals can affect surface energy states and catalytic activity, but practical implementations are rare. We report a method to control surface strain by modulating the curvature of a bent Janus-type nanodisc, which is formed by combining Rh3S4 and Cu31S16. This strategy allows for controlling lattice strains in hetero-nanostructures and systematically improving catalytic performance.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Joanna Dehnel, Adi Harchol, Yahel Barak, Itay Meir, Faris Horani, Arthur Shapiro, Rotem Strassberg, Celso de Mello Donega, Hilmi Volkan Demir, Daniel R. Gamelin, Kusha Sharma, Efrat Lifshitz
Summary: Incorporating magnetic ions into semiconductor nanocrystals is a promising research field for manipulating spin-related properties. Various host materials and magnetic ions have been studied, and the impact of nanostructure engineering and ion selection in carrier-magnetic ion interactions is emphasized. The use of optically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides valuable insights into the spin dynamics and physical parameters of the carrier-magnetic ion interactions.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Zixin Wang, Hui Wang
Summary: The synthesis of Ru nanocrystals in metastable crystal phases has been achieved through one-pot thermal reduction of appropriate Ru(III) precursors in a polyol solvent with the assistance of polydopamine (PDA). The phase-controlled synthesis of capping ligand-free Ru nanocrystals allows for a systematic comparison of their catalytic activities towards the oxidation of TMB, revealing the influence of crystalline structures and other factors on reaction rates and kinetic features.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sang Eun Yoon, Yongjin Kim, Hyeongjun Kim, Hyo-Geun Kwon, Unjeong Kim, Sang Yeon Lee, Ju Hyun Park, Hyungtak Seo, Sang Kyu Kwak, Sang-Wook Kim, Jong H. Kim
Summary: The authors achieved metallic properties from semiconducting Cu-Fe-S colloidal nanocrystal (NC) solids through cation exchange method. By efficiently generating charge carriers onto a semiconducting Cu-S NC template via minimal Fe exchange, they realized an unprecedentedly high electrical conductivity. The obtained NC films exhibited metallic behaviour with high electrical conductivity, making them suitable for various optoelectronic devices.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhoufeng Jiang, Yiteng Tang, Antara Debnath Antu, Shashini M. Premathilaka, Marilyn Louise Cayer, Carol A. Heckman, Pavel Moroz, Mikhail Zamkov, Liangfeng Sun
Summary: Using the cation-exchange method, PbS nanoribbons are successfully converted into CdS nanoribbons, resulting in the expansion of the emission spectrum. CdS nanoribbons exhibit blue band-edge photoluminescence under UV excitation and show multicolor emissions in cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. Further research reveals that the lifetime of the midgap states in CdS nanoribbons is significantly longer than that of the band-edge states.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhoufeng Jiang, Yiteng Tang, Antara Debnath Antu, Shashini M. Premathilaka, Marilyn Louise Cayer, Carol A. Heckman, Pavel Moroz, Mikhail Zamkov, Liangfeng Sun
Summary: Colloidal PbS nanoribbons are successfully transformed into CdS nanoribbons using cation-exchange method, expanding the emission spectrum from infrared to visible. CdS nanoribbons exhibit blue band-edge photoluminescence under UV light excitation and show multicolor (blue, green, and red) cathodoluminescence.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Auston G. Butterfield, Connor R. McCormick, Joseph M. Veglak, Raymond E. Schaak
Summary: This study demonstrates morphology-dependent phase selectivity during nanoparticle synthesis by controlling the number of stacked close-packed planes and anion rearrangement during cation exchange in different morphologies (plates, spheres, rods) to selectively target different phases.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Emil A. Hernandez-Pagan, Robert W. Lord, Joseph M. Veglak, Raymond E. Schaak
Summary: Colloidal hybrid nanoparticles combining different materials within a single particle can lead to synergistic properties, enabling new applications and discoveries. While hybrid nanoparticles containing metal phosphide domains are rare, they hold potential for unique catalytic, photocatalytic, and optoelectronic properties. Various synthesis methods and transformation processes from metal-metal hybrids to metal phosphides have been explored, with implications for potential photocatalytic applications.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gryphon A. Drake, Logan P. Keating, Moonsub Shim
Summary: Colloidal nanocrystal heterostructures with variable three-dimensional morphology have size-, shape-, and composition-dependent electronic structure, enabling the design of solution-processable materials with high performance and programmable functionality. Understanding the thermodynamic and kinetic factors that govern nanocrystal growth is crucial for designing and synthesizing complex materials. This review focuses on the growth mechanisms of nanorod heterostructures, the simplest form of anisotropic nanocrystal heterostructures, and explores the effects of various factors on their growth.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yangning Zhang, Omar F. Aly, Anastacia De Gorostiza, Thana Shuga Aldeen, Allison J. Segapeli, Brian A. Korgel
Summary: Cesium methylammonium lead iodide (Cs(x)MA(1-x)PbI(3)) nanocrystals with a wide range of Cs-MA compositions were synthesized through post-synthetic cation exchange. The alloyed nanocrystals retained their perovskite phase and composition-tunable photoluminescence. Fast cation exchange was achieved by adding excess methylammonium oleate to the reaction mixture. The transformation and degradation kinetics of the nanocrystal films were slower than those of the parent nanocrystals.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Biswajit Hudait, Sumit Kumar Dutta, Suman Bera, Narayan Pradhan
Summary: Researchers have successfully synthesized anisotropic perovskite nanocrystals with tailored shapes and unique properties using derivatives of alpha-bromo ketones. It is theorized that the directional growth of anisotropic perovskite nanocrystals may depend on the structure of the parent lattice, rather than following specific growth rules.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jence T. Mulder, Michael S. Meijer, J. Jasper van Blaaderen, Indy du Fosse, Kellie Jenkinson, Sara Bals, Liberato Manna, Arjan J. Houtepen
Summary: Yb:YLF nanocrystals with an undoped YLF shell can achieve high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and reduce concentration quenching, making them highly promising for various applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Daniele Campanella, Giovanni Bertoni, Wen Zhu, Michel Trudeau, Gabriel Girard, Sylvio Savoie, Daniel Clement, Abdelbast Guerfi, Ashok Vijh, Chandramohan George, Daniel Belanger, Andrea Paolella
Summary: In recent years, solid electrolytes have gained attention as a viable alternative to liquid electrolytes in lithium-based batteries. However, the high synthesis temperatures and challenging optimization of solid-state electrolytes pose a significant barrier to widespread application. This study demonstrates that the synthesis process of garnet-based Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) electrolyte can be expedited and the formation temperature reduced by supplementation with a carbon additive. The resulting carbon-rich LLZO samples exhibit improved particle distribution and densification, leading to enhanced electro-chemical performance compared to carbon-free LLZO.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Danila Quarta, Stefano Toso, Gabriele Saleh, Rocco Caliandro, Anna Moliterni, Andrea Griesi, Giorgio Divitini, Ivan Infante, Giuseppe Gigli, Cinzia Giannini, Liberato Manna, Carlo Giansante
Summary: We have developed a colloidal synthesis method for bismuth chalcohalide nanocrystals with a hexagonal phase. The structure of these nanocrystals can be described by the Bi13S18X2 (where X = Br and I) model. It was found that the presence of Bi24+ dimers, formed by columns of Bi atoms, and Peierls-type distortions are responsible for the anomalously low band gap and intervalence charge transfer in this material. Our findings and synthetic approach provide fundamental understanding for the use of hexagonal bismuth chalcohalides in diverse applications such as photocatalysis and thermoelectrics.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Aniruddha Ray, Luca De Trizio, Juliette Zito, Ivan Infante, Liberato Manna, Ahmed L. L. Abdelhady
Summary: Remarkable progress has been made in recent years in the development of low-dimensional perovskite-related materials. Various low-dimensional metal halide nanocrystals have been synthesized and investigated for compounds with low toxicity. These nanocrystals crystallize in various structures and dimensionalities, often exhibiting exciting optical properties. The improvement/manipulation of light emission from these nanocrystals and the possible origin of their light emission are discussed in this review, along with comparisons to their bulk counterparts and future research directions.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sarika Kumari, Jose G. Sanchez, Muhammad Imran, Ece Aktas, Dora A. Gonzalez, Liberato Manna, Eugenia Martinez-Ferrero, Emilio Palomares
Summary: This study reports the use of two carbazole-based self-assembled molecules as hole injecting materials in perovskite-based LEDs. The extra phenyl ring in the bridge of these molecules provides improved stability to the devices, surpassing the widely used polymer PTAA. Additionally, the efficiency of the devices is increased due to the structural and electronic characteristics of the self-assembled molecules.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fulvio Bellato, Michele Ferri, Abinaya Annamalai, Mirko Prato, Luca Leoncino, Rosaria Brescia, Luca De Trizio, Liberato Manna
Summary: We present the first colloidal synthesis of NiAs nanocrystals and their performance as electrocatalysts for water splitting reactions. The NiAs nanocrystals exhibit high activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), surpassing the performance of benchmark materials. The study highlights the potential of transition metal arsenides as emerging materials for electrocatalytic applications.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ye Yu, Anatol Prudnikau, Vladimir Lesnyak, Robert Kirchner
Summary: In the past two decades, direct laser writing (DLW) technologies have experienced significant growth, but there is still a lack of strategies to enhance printing resolution and develop materials with diverse functionalities. This study presents a cost-effective method to address this bottleneck by utilizing semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) through surface chemistry modification. The evaluations showed that QDs exhibited excellent colloidal stability and preserved photoluminescent properties, enabling further exploration of the printing characteristics of the composite material.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ankita Bora, Josephine Lox, Rene Huebner, Nelli Weiss, Houman Bahmani Jalali, Francesco di Stasio, Christine Steinbach, Nikolai Gaponik, Vladimir Lesnyak
Summary: Copper chalcogenide-based nanocrystals (NCs) are promising alternatives to toxic Cd/Pb chalcogenide-based NCs in various applications. However, direct synthesis methods of this class of compounds suffer from inhomogeneities in size, shape, and composition. Partial cation exchange and synthetic strategies can improve control and narrow photoluminescence (PL) bandwidths. This study presents a two-step colloidal synthesis of Cu-Zn-In-Se (CZISe) NCs via partial cation exchange, resulting in gradient-alloyed CZISe NCs with a Zn-rich surface. The synthesized NCs exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and narrow PL bands, offering potential for solar energy harvesting and bioimaging applications. Rating: 8/10
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Diana Nelli, Valentina Mastronardi, Rosaria Brescia, Pier Paolo Pompa, Mauro Moglianetti, Riccardo Ferrando
Summary: The growth of pyramidal platinum nanocrystals is caused by the adsorption of hydrogen on {100} facets, which results in a peculiar type of symmetry breaking. The size-dependent adsorption energies of hydrogen atoms on {100} facets hinder the growth of pyramidal shapes only when they are sufficiently large. The absence of pyramidal nanocrystals in experiments without hydrogen confirms the crucial role of hydrogen adsorption.
Article
Microscopy
Giovanni Bertoni, Enzo Rotunno, Daan Marsmans, Peter Tiemeijer, Amir H. Tavabi, Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski, Vincenzo Grillo
Summary: The key to optimizing the spatial resolution of a scanning transmission electron microscope lies in accurately measuring and correcting electron optical aberrations. While several diagnostic methods have been proposed, they often involve long acquisition times. In this study, we demonstrate how artificial intelligence can quickly diagnose aberrations from individual Ronchigrams, which is crucial for rapidly changing microscope conditions and the operation of MEMS-based hardware correction elements.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aarya Prabhakaran, Zhiya Dang, Rohan Dhall, Fabrizio Camerin, Susana Marin-Aguilar, Balaji Dhanabalan, Andrea Castelli, Rosaria Brescia, Liberato Manna, Marjolein Dijkstra, Milena P. P. Arciniegas
Summary: Manipulating nano-objects through heating is an effective approach to modify the structure and optoelectronic properties of semiconducting materials. In this study, temperature-sensitive CsPbBr(3) perovskite nanoplatelets were synthesized and their structural evolution was observed at the nanoscale using in situ heating transmission electron microscopy. The morphological changes, starting from self-assembly into ribbons and ultimately forming randomly dispersed nanosheets on a substrate, were identified and supported by molecular dynamics simulations. The merging paths of the nanoplates within the ribbons were found to be influenced by the random orientation of the initial ribbons and the mobility of ligands, enabling the creation of structures with tunable emission ranging from blue to green.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Michele Sidoli, Giacomo Magnani, Laura Fornasini, Silvio Scaravonati, Alberto Morenghi, Vincenzo Vezzoni, Danilo Bersani, Giovanni Bertoni, Mattia Gaboardi, Mauro Ricco, Daniele Pontiroli
Summary: This work investigates the performance of novel negative electrodes for Li-ion batteries based on defective graphene synthesized via a scalable thermal exfoliation of graphite oxide and decorated with TiO2 nanoparticles. The synthesized materials were electrochemically tested, and the results showed significant improvement in capacity, reversibility, and high-rate capability, even with the addition of a small amount of graphene.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yong Zuo, Sebastiano Bellani, Gabriele Saleh, Michele Ferri, Dipak V. Shinde, Marilena Isabella Zappia, Joka Buha, Rosaria Brescia, Mirko Prato, Roberta Pascazio, Abinaya Annamalai, Danilo Oliveira de Souza, Luca De Trizio, Ivan Infante, Francesco Bonaccorso, Liberato Manna
Summary: In this study, a hierarchical electrode composed of different species was designed for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The electrode demonstrated high activity and stability in HER, attributed to the fast charge and gas transfer channels provided by vertically aligned Cu nanorods and the regulation of water dissociation and hydrogen adsorption by Cu clusters. Additionally, the alkaline electrolyzer coupled with the proposed cathode and a stainless-steel anode showed stable operation in both continuous and intermittent modes.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Liudmila Trotsiuk, Alina Muravitskaya, Artur Movsesyan, Andrei Ramanenka, Anatol Prudnikau, Artsiom Antanovich, Vladimir Lesnyak, Sergey V. Gaponenko, Alexander O. Govorov
Summary: This article investigates the metal-enhanced photoluminescence phenomenon of semiconductor nanocrystals under nonplasmonic conditions and correlates it with charge exchange processes. The study found that injecting holes into semiconductor nanocrystals can increase the photoluminescence intensity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Salvatore Cosseddu, Roberta Pascazio, Carlo Giansante, Liberato Manna, Ivan Infante
Summary: In this paper, classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to investigate the locations, binding modes and mobilities of carboxylate ligands on the different facets of CdSe nanocrystals. The results suggest that these features are influenced by the temperature of the system and the coordination number of the surface (Cd and Se) atoms. High ligand mobilities and structural rearrangements are observed with low coordination of Cd atoms, while undercoordinated Se atoms are found to form spontaneously on the nanosecond timescale, potentially playing a role in photoluminescence quenching.
