Cation exchange is emerging as a powerful and interesting tool for chemical transformations of semiconductor nanocrystals. While direct synthetic methods are continually improving, there are many types of colloidal nanostructures which remain difficult or impossible to obtain through direct synthesis. For example, through post-preparative cation exchange it may be possible to produce otherwise unattainable combinations of composition and morphology, to produce non-equilibrium heterostructures, to produce alloys or doped nanostructures, or to introduce asymmetry in a controlled manner that can be exploited for assembly or for advanced applications. This talk will describe several recent advances from our laboratory involving cation exchange and its utility in producing interesting nanostructures. Among these are the development of new reagents that enable unprecedented scalability in cation exchange, the demonstration of fast, room-temperature cation exchange in some unexpected systems, and a simple and practical means for <i>in situ</i> monitoring of cation exchange reaction progress. These advances have produced new understanding of the cation exchange process and have enabled a new level of control over the reaction product. Finally, results will be presented from processes involving multi-step, partial and complete cation exchanges that are lending insight into what types of structures may eventually be possible.

Cation exchange in colloidal nanocrystals: New advances and new possibilities

254th National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.