Tailoring of branched structures in the shape of stars based on PbS semiconductor, revealing the reaction mechanism and controlling factors that dictate their morphology and associated optical properties.
Colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) have
been at the forefront of scientific
research and technological applications since their emergence in the
1980s. The limitations of single component NCs and the growing demand
for wide electronic tunability switched the attention to core/shell
nanoheterostructures (NHs). The NHs consist of at least two semiconductor
compounds, exhibiting improved surface passivation of the cores and
surplus electronic tunability beyond that gained by size confinement.
Several synthetic approaches have been developed through the years
for the formation of core/shell structures. This article discusses
two recent synthetic approaches, cation exchange and the Kirkendall
effect, for the preparation of core/shell NHs, focusing on IV–VI
semiconductor compounds. Both cation exchange and the Kirkendall effect
are postsynthetic routes which offer an indirect way to synthesize
complex core/shell NHs, that are difficult to synthesize by other
methods. Overall, the produced core/shell NCs show enhanced optical
properties and improved chemical sustainability with respect to the
corresponding pure cores.
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