Binary Nanocrystal Superlattice
A designer solid self-assembled from semiconducting quantum dots and plasmonic nanocrystals. Each nanocrystal is coated in a layer of ligand molecules that encourage the particles to aggregate together. The solution of coated nanocrystals is then spread in a thin layer over a surface, allowing the solvent to evaporate. As the solvent evaporates, the crystals are deposited across the surface in a thin film, patterned according to the geometry of the crystals and the behavior of the surface ligand.
DOLFIN Image of a Parrot
Direct optical lithography of functional inorganic nanomaterials (DOLFIN), using red, green, and blue semiconducting quantum dots. The quantum dots are prepared with a soluble surface layer of photosensitive ligands, which initially allows them to dissolve in a solvent. However, when exposed to light, these photosensitive ligands decompose and become insoluble, forcing the quantum dots out of solution. This deposits the quantum dots on the surface in the pattern of the light. In this image, red, green, and blue quantum dots were successively applied to one surface, and each was exposed to a different pattern of light to place the colors in the shape of a parrot. This detailed placement method can be used to create the extremely fine structures used in electronics.
Ti\(_2\)CCl\(_2\) MXenes
Ti\(_2\)CCl\(_2\) MXenes synthesized by direct chemical reaction. These spherical structures were created by chemical vapor deposition synthesis, through the combination of gaseous CH\(_4\) and TiCl\(_4\) over a titanium surface at 950°C. In these conditions, sheets of Ti\(_2\)CCl\(_2\) grow like nanometer-thick flakes of layered pastry, with each crystalline sheet comprised of a layer of carbon atoms sandwiched between two layers of titanium atoms, and the outer titanium surfaces each coated in a layer of chlorine atoms. This direct method of creating MXenes is an efficient way to create these highly customizable 2D materials, making them more accessible for practical applications.