Editorial pubs.acs.org/cm
Preface to the Chemistry of Materials Special Issue: Synthetic and Mechanistic Advances in Nanocrystal Growth
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Flat semiconductor nanocrystals have recently emerged as a new family of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, having remarkable optical properties related to those of quantum wells. Dubertret and co-workers review nanoplatelets and nanosheets. Hyeon and co-workers review two-dimensional semiconductor nanoribbons. Synthetic methods and the range of well-controlled nanocrystal morphologies have developed significantly over the past decade, and several such advances are represented in this special issue. Harrell, McBride, and Rosenthal review the synthesis of ultrasmall and magic-sized CdSe nanocrystals. Lee, Zhang, and Sun summarize the high-temperature solutionphase synthesis of oxide nanocrystals. Wenshou Wang, Dahl, and Yin review the nanoscale Kirkendall effect and the synthesis of hollow colloidal nanocrystals. Lee, Char, and co-workers describe CdSe tetrapods. Kauzlarich and co-workers contrast conventional and microwave heating for the synthesis of Ge nanoparticles. Lauth, Weller, and co-workers provide a new, transmetalation synthesis of GaAs nanocrystals. Theil and coworkers present a synthesis of maghemite and ferrite nanocrystals. Moshofsky and Mokari contribute a length- and diameter-controlled synthesis of tungsten oxide nanowires. The issue contains two reports on colloidal-nanocrystal assemblies. Manna and co-workers describe the fabrication of nanocrystal films having unpassivated or chloride-passivated nanocrystal surfaces, leading to enhancements in photocurrent. Holmes and co-workers present a fabrication methodology for self-assembled lead zirconate titanate nanodot arrays. Finally, two reviews explore nanocrystal-based sensing. Gamelin and co-workers describe dual-emitting temperature sensors. Guyot-Sionnest and co-workers review nanocrystals for mid-IR absorption and detection, with an emphasis on HgTe. We believe this special issue presents a vivid portrait of current colloidal-nanocrystal research, particularly in synthetic methods, mechanistic understanding, surface and core structural issues, and potential applications. We thank Angela Potter and Meeli Chew Leith for their great assistance with manuscript handling and the authors and reviewers for their timely responses. We hope that readers will find great value in this collection of papers.
he preparation, properties, and applications of nanocrystals have figured prominently in Chemistry of Materials for many years. This special issue recognizes the dramatic advances in the nanocrystal field over the past decade, particularly in synthetic methods, the understanding of growth mechanisms, and the optimization of optical and other physical properties. Emphasis is given here to the rational control of nanocrystal morphology, size, phase, and composition; mechanistic studies establishing chemical and crystal-growth pathways; and detailed understanding and control of surface and core structure. Although a majority of the review and research articles address semiconductor nanocrystals, several covering metallic and ceramic nanocrystals are also included. Synthetic control is advanced by a developing comprehension of precursor-conversion chemistry, the roles of adventitious impurities, the factors influencing nucleation, and the various pathways by which nanocrystals grow. These mechanistic considerations are separately addressed for semiconductor nanocrystals in reviews from Sowers, Swartz, and Krauss and by Cossairt, Liu, Owen, and co-workers. Sabyrov, Burrows, and Penn and DiSalvo and co-workers provide separate studies showing that aggregation and coalescence contribute extensively to nanoparticle growth for TiO2 and PtFe, respectively. Han and co-workers present a geometricalselection model for the growth of aligned ZnO nanowire arrays. Nanocrystal surface ligation and structure strongly influence optical properties and charge-transfer characteristics, but until recently remained poorly characterized. Weiss and co-workers review the determination of surface−ligand structure and composition by a variety of spectroscopic methods. Hens and Martins provide an NMR toolbox for characterizing nanocrystal−surface chemistry. Many properties of nanocrystals, including optical properties, are strongly affected by internal (core) structures and heterostructures. Sarma and co-workers review the use of Xray photoelectron spectroscopy for determining core structure. A review by Hollingsworth describes the suppression of blinking and Auger recombination by nanocrystal heterostructuring. Shen and Qiangbin Wang review the rational tuning of sulfide−nanocrystal optical properties by alloying, doping, and heterostructuring. Xiaodong Wang and co-workers provide a study of Pt−Sn core−shell and alloy nanoparticles. The challenge of nanocrystal doping has recently been undertaken. Buonsanti and Milliron review the chemistry of doped colloidal nanocrystals. Norris and co-workers review the techniques used to characterize and image atomic impurities in semiconductor nanostructures. Anisotropic gold nanocrystals have contributed extensively to the development of colloidal nanoscience. Lohse and Murphy detail the history of gold-nanorod synthesis. Vigderman and Zubarev and Xuefei Wang and co-workers separately explore the interplay of synthesis and the longitudinal surface-plasmon resonance in gold nanorods. Wei and co-workers study halide ions as shape-directing agents for anisotropic gold nanocrystals. © 2013 American Chemical Society
Benoit Dubertret, Guest Co-Editor Jennifer Hollingsworth, Guest Co-Editor Haitao Liu, Guest Co-Editor Delia Milliron, Guest Co-Editor Jonathan Owen, Guest Co-Editor Emily Weiss, Guest Co-Editor William E. Buhro, Manuscript Co-Editor Frank Caruso, Manuscript Co-Editor Special Issue: Synthetic and Mechanistic Advances in Nanocrystal Growth Published: April 23, 2013 1153
dx.doi.org/10.1021/cm4008359 | Chem. Mater. 2013, 25, 1153−1154
Chemistry of Materials
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Editorial
Susan M. Kauzlarich, Manuscript Co-Editor Michael Ward, Manuscript Co-Editor AUTHOR INFORMATION
Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
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dx.doi.org/10.1021/cm4008359 | Chem. Mater. 2013, 25, 1153−1154
