The synthesis of epitaxially grown, wurtzite CdSe/CdS core/shell
nanocrystals is reported. Shells of up
to three monolayers in thickness were grown on cores ranging in
diameter from 23 to 39 Å. Shell growth was
controllable to within a tenth of a monolayer and was consistently
accompanied by a red shift of the absorption
spectrum, an increase of the room temperature photoluminescence quantum
yield (up to at least 50%), and an increase
in the photostability. Shell growth was shown to be uniform and
epitaxial by the use of X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution
transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and optical
spectroscopy. The experimental results indicate that in the
excited state the hole is confined to the core and the
electron is delocalized throughout the entire structure. The
photostability can be explained by the confinement of
the hole, while the delocalization of the electron results in a degree
of electronic accessibility that makes these
nanocrystals attractive for use in optoelectronic devices.
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