Branched Wires of CdTe Nanocrystals Using Amphiphilic Molecules as Templates

Abstract

One‐dimensional wires with widths of several nanometers and lengths of several micrometers are a technologically relevant structural motif as connectors in future electronic devices. By means of an interfacial assembly process at the air–water interface, water‐soluble luminescent CdTe nanocrystals were assembled into branched wires. Organic molecular aggregates (see image) formed in Langmuir monolayers are used as templates to organize the nanocrystals.

Structure Formation by Dynamic Self‐Assembly

“…Moreover, it is an efficient approach towards the controllable fabrication of laterally patterned structures on solid supports, termed LB patterning. Laterally nanostructured LB monolayers are normally generated by the deposition of ordered 2D structures formed at the air–water interface onto solid substrates 11–14. Alternatively, the LB transfer process itself can be used to form patterns near the three‐phase contact line from a homogeneous Langmuir monolayer.…”

Semiconductor nanowires self-assembled from colloidal CdTe nanocrystal building blocks: optical properties and application perspectives

“…We refer the reader to the reviews by Zacharias et al for vapour-grown NWs, 2 Kuno for nanostructures chemically grown in solution, 4 and Xia et al for the very comprehensive treatment of both. 1 Many different synthetic methods for semiconductor NW fabrication, including the conventional vapour-liquid-solid technique to porous anodic alumina templating approaches, 2 solution-liquid-solid growth, 10 utilization of soft templates 11 and virus-based scaffolds 12 have been developed. Solution-based self-assembly of NWs from semiconductor nanocrystal (NC) building blocks takes a prominent place.…”

“…1 Many different synthetic methods for semiconductor NW fabrication, including the conventional vapour liquid solid technique to porous anodic alumina templating approaches, 2 solution liquid solid growth, 10 utilization of soft templates 11 and virus based scaffolds 12 have been developed. Solution based self assembly of NWs from semiconductor nanocrystal (NC) building blocks takes a prom inent place.…”

Hierarchical self-assembly of CdTe quantum dots into hyperbranched nanobundles: Suppression of biexciton Auger recombination

“…24 Moreover, branched CdTe 3D structures have also been successfully created by varying the growth conditions of Au/Bi catalyzed nanowires (NWs) 25,26 or with the assistance of ligands. 27 Novel chiral CdTe twisted ribbons were also fabricated, with the relief of the mechanical shear stress in assembled ribbons caused by photooxidation. 28 Evidently, the abovementioned percolated frameworks contribute great advantages for efficient photon collection and electron transport when they are used for solar cells.…”