| Abstract Scope |
Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are typically 2-20 nm diameter fragments of bulk semiconductors. They are known as “artificial atoms” since electrons, holes, and excitons are quantum-mechanically confined and occupy discrete electronic states. Advances in wet-chemical synthetic methods enable the preparation of QDs tailorable in size, shape, and composition. These QDs are typically capped by organic ligands and are readily dispersed in solvents. They may be assembled from dispersions to form glassy or crystalline solids. I will focus on routes to design solid-state QD materials by manipulating the QD composition, using post-assembly cation-exchange processes; the QD surface chemistry to strengthen electronic coupling, by exchanging the ligands used in synthesis for more compact chemistries; and the doping of QD solids, by introducing atoms and ions that serve as impurities or modify stoichiometry. Ultimately, I will connect QD material design to their physical properties and their application in next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. |