Rationally converting colloidal semiconducting nanocrystals into functional devices requires a detailed picture of nanocrystal surface chemistry. By treating carboxylate-terminated cadmium selenide nanocrystals with trimethylsilyl halide in the presence of a Lewis base, specifically tri-n-butylphosphine, we developed a soluble nanocrystal with labile ligation. This ligand exchange and the resulting nanocrystal material illustrates several fundamental ligand classes that we categories using Malcom Green’s covalent bond classification system.1 This presentation will discuss the value of careful ligand characterization and the ubiquity of these ligand classes across all inorganic nanocrystal materials, including metal chalcogenides, pnictonides, covalent Group 14, and new metal halide perovskite nanocrystals. The contributions of sterics and electronics to ligand binding affinity, as well as the fabrication of thin film transistors, will also be covered. These vignettes serve as examples demonstrating the value of careful, quantitative characterization of these materials while exploring the analogy between metal center complexes and semiconducting nanocrystals.

Halide-terminated cadmium selenide nanocrystals: From classic fundamental chemistry to devices

255th National Meeting (2018)

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