Centrifugal casting of composites and ceramics has been widely employed to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of functional materials. This powerful method has yet to be deployed in the context of nanoparticles—yet size–effect tuning of quantum dots is among their most distinctive and application-relevant features. Here we report the first gradient nanoparticle films to be constructed in a single step. By creating a stable colloid of nanoparticles that are capped with electronic-conduction-compatible ligands we were able to leverage centrifugal casting for thin-films devices. This new method, termed centrifugal colloidal casting, is demonstrated to form films in a bandgap-ordered manner with efficient carrier funnelling towards the lowest energy layer. We constructed the first quantum-gradient photodiode to be formed in a single deposition step and, as a result of the gradient-enhanced electric field, experimentally measured the highest normalized detectivity of any colloidal quantum dot photodetector.
Porous bioceramics, such as hydroxyapatite (HA), tricalcium phosphate (TCP), and biphasic HA/TCP, were fabricated using the polyurethane sponge technique. The porosity of the ceramics was controlled by a multiple coating of the porous body. When a porous body was produced by a single coating, the porosity was ∼90%, and the pores were completely interconnected. When the sintered body was coated five times after the porous network had been made, the porosity decreased to 65%. As the porosity decreased, the strength increased exponentially. The TCP exhibited the highest dissolution rate in a Ringer's solution, and the HA had the lowest rate. The biphasic HA/TCP showed an intermediate dissolution rate.
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