Two-Dimensional CdSe-PbSe Heterostructures and PbSe Nanoplatelets: Formation, Atomic Structure, and Optical Properties

Cation exchange enables the preparation of nanocrystals (NCs), which are not reachable by direct synthesis methods. In this work, we applied Pb2+-for-Cd2+ cation exchange on CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs) to prepare two-dimensional CdSe-PbSe heterostructures and PbSe NPLs. Lowering the reaction temperature slowed down the rate of cation exchange, making it possible to characterize the intermediary NCs ex situ with atomically resolved high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy. We observe that the Pb2+-for-Cd2+ cation exchange starts from the vertices of the NPLs and grows into the zinc blende CdSe (zb-CdSe) lattice as a rock salt PbSe phase (rs-PbSe), while the anion (selenium) sublattice is being preserved. In agreement with previous works on CdTe-PbTe films, the interfaces between zb-CdSe and rs-PbSe consist of shared {001} and {011} planes. The final PbSe NPLs are highly crystalline and contain protrusions at the edges, which are slightly rotated, indicating an atomic reconfiguration of material. The growth of PbSe domains into CdSe NPLs could also be monitored by the emission peak shift as a function of the exchange time. Temperature-dependent emission measurements confirm a size-dependent change of the band gap energy with temperature and reveal a strong influence of the anisotropic shape. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements between 4 and 30 K show a dark-bright exciton-state splitting different from PbSe QDs with three-dimensional quantum confinement

Oriented Attachment: From Natural Crystal Growth to a Materials Engineering Tool

ConspectusIntuitively, chemists see crystals grow atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule, very much like a mason builds a wall, brick by brick. It is much more difficult to grasp that small crystals can meet each other in a liquid or at an interface, start to align their crystal lattices and then grow together to form one single crystal. In analogy, that looks more like prefab building. Yet, this is what happens in many occasions and can, with reason, be considered as an alternative mechanism of crystal growth. Oriented attachment is the process in which crystalline colloidal particles align their atomic lattices and grow together into a single crystal. Hence, two aligned crystals become one larger crystal by epitaxy of two specific facets, one of each crystal. If we simply consider the system of two crystals, the unifying attachment reduces the surface energy and results in an overall lower (free) energy of the system. Oriented attachment often occurs with massive numbers of crystals dispersed in a liquid phase, a sol or crystal suspension. In that case, oriented attachment lowers the total free energy of the crystal suspension, predominantly by removal of the nanocrystal/liquid interface area. Accordingly, we should start by considering colloidal suspensions with crystals as the dispersed phase, i.e., "sols", and discuss the reasons for their thermodynamic (meta)stability and how this stability can be lowered such that oriented attachment can occur as a spontaneous thermodynamic process. Oriented attachment is a process observed both for charge-stabilized crystals in polar solvents and for ligand capped nanocrystal suspensions in nonpolar solvents. In this last system different facets can develop a very different reactivity for oriented attachment. Due to this facet selectivity, crystalline structures with very specific geometries can be grown in one, two, or three dimensions; controlled oriented attachment suddenly becomes a tool for material scientists to grow architectures that cannot be reached by any other means. We will review the work performed with PbSe and CdSe nanocrystals. The entire process, i.e., the assembly of nanocrystals, atomic alignment, and unification by attachment, is a very complex and intriguing process. Researchers have succeeded in monitoring these different steps with in situ wave scattering methods and real-space (S)TEM studies. At the same time coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations have been used to further study the forces involved in self-assembly and attachment at an interface. We will briefly come back to some of these results in the last sections of this review

Observation of the quantized motion of excitons in CdSe nanoplatelets

We show that the finite lateral sizes of ultrathin CdSe nanoplatelets strongly affect both their photoluminescence and optical absorption spectra. This is in contrast to the situation in quantum wells, in which the large lateral sizes may be assumed to be infinite. The lateral sizes of the nanoplatelets are varied over a range of a few to tens of nanometers. For these sizes excitons experience in-plane quantum confinement, and their center-of-mass motion becomes quantized. Our direct experimental observation of the discretization of the exciton center-of-mass states can be well understood on the basis of the simple particle-in-a-box model.</p

Effects of Pump Photon Energy on Generation and Ultrafast Relaxation of Excitons and Charge Carriers in CdSe Nanoplatelets

We studied the initial nature and relaxation of photoexcited electronic states in CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs). Ultrafast transient optical absorption (TA) measurements were combined with the theoretical analysis of the formation and decay of excitons, biexcitons, free charge carriers, and trions. In the latter, photons and excitons were treated as bosons and free charge carriers as fermions. The initial quantum yields of heavy-hole (HH) excitons, light-hole (LH) excitons, and charge carriers vary strongly with photon energy, while thermal relaxation occurs always within 1 ps. After that, the population of LH excitons is negligible due to relaxation to HH excitons or decay into free electrons and holes. Up to the highest average number of about four absorbed photons per NPL in our experiments, we found no signatures of the presence of biexcitons or larger complexes. Biexcitons were only observed due to the interaction of a probe-generated exciton with an exciton produced previously by the pump pulse. For higher pump photon energies, the initial presence of more free charge carriers leads to formation of trions by probe photons. On increasing the number of absorbed pump photons in an NPL, the yield of excitons becomes higher as compared to free charge carriers, since electron-hole recombination becomes more likely. In addition to a TA absorption feature at energy below the HH exciton peak, we also observed a TA signal at the high-energy side of this peak, which we attribute to formation of LH-HH biexcitons or trions consisting of a charge and LH exciton.</p

Observation of the quantized motion of excitons in CdSe nanoplatelets

We show that the finite lateral sizes of ultrathin CdSe nanoplatelets strongly affect both their photoluminescence and optical absorption spectra. This is in contrast to the situation in quantum wells, in which the large lateral sizes may be assumed to be infinite. The lateral sizes of the nanoplatelets are varied over a range of a few to tens of nanometers. For these sizes excitons experience in-plane quantum confinement, and their center-of-mass motion becomes quantized. Our direct experimental observation of the discretization of the exciton center-of-mass states can be well understood on the basis of the simple particle-in-a-box model

Luminescence Line Broadening of CdSe Nanoplatelets and Quantum Dots for Application in w-LEDs

Nanoplatelets (NPLs) of CdSe are an emerging class of luminescent materials, combining tunable and narrow emission bands with high quantum yields. This is promising for application in white light LEDs (w-LEDs) and displays. The origin of the narrow spectral width of exciton emission in core NPL compared to core-shell NPL and quantum dot (QD) emission is not fully understood. Here we investigate and compare temperature-dependent emission spectra of core and core-shell CdSe NPLs and QDs. A wide temperature range, 4-423 K, is chosen to gain insight into contributions from homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening and also to extend measurements into a temperature regime that is relevant for operating conditions in w-LEDs (T ≈ 423 K). The results show that temperature-induced homogeneous broadening does not strongly vary between the various CdSe nanostructures (ΔEhom ≈ 60-80 meV at 423 K) indicating that electron-phonon coupling strengths are similar. Only for the smallest QDs is stronger coupling observed. The origin of the narrow bandwidth reported at 300 K for core CdSe NPLs is attributed to a very narrow inhomogeneous line width. At 423 K, the spectral width of NPL exciton emission is still narrower than that of QDs. A comparison with traditional w-LED phosphors is made to outline advantages (tunability, narrow bandwidth, high efficiency) and disadvantages (color shift, stability issues) of NPLs for application in w-LEDs

In Situ Luminescence Thermometry to Locally Measure Temperature Gradients during Catalytic Reactions

Bandshape luminescence thermometry during in situ temperature measurements has been reported by preparing three catalytically relevant systems, which show temperature-dependent luminescence. One of these systems was further investigated as a showcase for application. Microcrystalline NaYF4 doped with Er3+ and Yb3+ was mixed with a commercial zeolite H-ZSM-5 to investigate the Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons (MTH) reaction, while monitoring the reaction products with online gas chromatography. Due to the exothermic nature of the MTH reaction, a front of increased temperature migrating down the fixed reactor bed was visualized, showing the potential for various applications of luminescence thermometry for in situ measurements in catalytic systems

In Situ Luminescence Thermometry to Locally Measure Temperature Gradients during Catalytic Reactions

Bandshape luminescence thermometry during in situ temperature measurements has been reported by preparing three catalytically relevant systems, which show temperature-dependent luminescence. One of these systems was further investigated as a showcase for application. Microcrystalline NaYF4 doped with Er3+ and Yb3+ was mixed with a commercial zeolite H-ZSM-5 to investigate the Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons (MTH) reaction, while monitoring the reaction products with online gas chromatography. Due to the exothermic nature of the MTH reaction, a front of increased temperature migrating down the fixed reactor bed was visualized, showing the potential for various applications of luminescence thermometry for in situ measurements in catalytic systems

Single Trap States in Single CdSe Nanoplatelets

Trap states can strongly affect semiconductor nanocrystals, by quenching, delaying, and spectrally shifting the photoluminescence (PL). Trap states have proven elusive and difficult to study in detail at the ensemble level, let alone in the single-trap regime. CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs) exhibit significant fractions of long-lived "delayed emission"and near-infrared "trap emission". We use these two spectroscopic handles to study trap states at the ensemble and the single-particle level. We find that reversible hole trapping leads to both delayed and trap PL, involving the same trap states. At the single-particle level, reversible trapping induces exponential delayed PL and trap PL, with lifetimes ranging from 40 to 1300 ns. In contrast with exciton PL, single-trap PL is broad and shows spectral diffusion and strictly single-photon emission. Our results highlight the large inhomogeneity of trap states, even at the single-particle level