Structural properties of PbTe quantum dots revealed by high-energy x-ray diffraction

Abstract

High-energy X-ray diffraction (HE-XRD) experiments combined with an analysis based on atomic-pair-distribution functions can be an effective tool for probing lowdimensional materials. Here, we show how such an analysis can be used to gain insight into structural properties of PbTe nanoparticles. We interpret our HE-XRD data using an orthorhombic Pnma phase of PbTe, which is an orthorhombic distortion of the rocksalt phase. Although local crystal geometry can vary substantially with particle size at scales below 10 nm, and for very small nanoparticles the particle size itself influences X-ray diffraction patterns, our study shows that HE-XRD can provide a unique nano-characterization tool for unraveling structural properties of nanoscale systems.

Structural Properties of Nanometer‐Sized Gold Nanoparticles on a Silicon Substrate

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“…In each nanoparticle, there are multiple γ-Fe 2 O 3 particles incorporated. The reason that these particles appear larger in HR-TEM images than the crystallite size calculated by XRD, is due to the agglomeration of the single crystals to larger particles [55,56].…”

“…The H c value for TMOS-γ-Fe 2 O 3 is also larger than for TEOS-γ-Fe 2 O 3 . The non-zero H c values have their origin in agglomeration of the magnetic NPs [55,56] to form larger particles. Figure 8 shows the ZFC and FC magnetization measurements.…”

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“…The most widely used approaches are wet chemical methods, electrodeposition methods, sonochemical approaches, and thin-film growth . Various types of nanostructures have been reported, including nanorods, nanotubes, nanocubes, nanowires, − quantum dots, and nanoboxes …”