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 language | Undefined/Unknown |
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Pages (from-to) | 2931-2936 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Nano Letters |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 9 |
Publication status | Published - 2007 |