Dipolar structures in colloidal dispersions of PbSe and CdSe quantum dots

M. Klokkenburg, A.J. Houtepen, R. Koole, J.W.J. de Folter, B.H. Erne, E.E.H. van Faassen, D.A.M. Vanmaekelbergh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

We show by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy that PbSe and CdSe nanocrystals of various shapes in a liquid colloidal dispersion self-assemble into equilibrium structures that have a pronounced dipolar character, to an extent that depends on particle concentration and size. Analyzing the cluster-size distributions with a one-dimensional (1D) aggregation model yields a dipolar pair attraction of 8-10 kBT at room temperature. This accounts for the long-range alignment of the crystal planes of individual nanocrystals in self-assembled superstructures and for anisotropic nanostructures grown via oriented attachment.
Original languageUndefined/Unknown
Pages (from-to)2931-2936
Number of pages6
JournalNano Letters
Volume7
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - 2007

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