Out-of-equilibrium self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles

• Grant number: 19/22216-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: February 28, 2020
• End date: July 15, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Edson Roberto Leite
• Grantee: João Batista Souza Junior
• Supervisor: Dmitri Talapin
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Chicago, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/05159-1 - Static and dynamic self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles, BP.PD

Abstract

Semiconductor nanoparticles show size-dependent optical and electronic properties useful for several technological applications, like light-emitting, photovoltaic, and thermoelectric devices. Size- and shape-controlled semiconductor particles can lead to 1D (quantum wires), 2D (quantum wells), and 3D (quantum dots) nanocrystals with extremely tuning of their optical and electronic properties. Both synthetic methods and self-assembly of these nanocrystals are essential to prepare the new generation of devices with new or improved performance. This project is designed to be at the front edge of the issues that addresses nanoparticles self-assembly. Different nanoparticles morphologies with different surface ligands will be used to study the out-of-equilibrium self-assembly aiming the preparation of optoelectronics devices. We propose to understand how nanocrystals can be self-assembled in superlattices or supercrystals in non-ordinary systems. Talapin studies have shown that nanoparticles can be assembled in a diversity structural morphology, leading to complex superlattices having semiconducting, metallic, and magnetic nanocrystals into long-range ordered binary nanocrystal superlattices. The past two decades have shown several chemical methods to prepare colloidal nanocrystals with uniform size and shape. These Brownian nanoparticles freely order into superlattices by controlling their drying process. Nanocrystal self-assembly is a process that depends upon the controlling of several different lengths, the nanocrystal (typically 1100 nm across) and its surrounded medium (surface ligands with lengths from 1 nm to tens of nanometers). The superstructures produced are typically obtained with sizes from micrometers (mostly by static self-assembly) to several millimeters (possible using dynamic self-assembly), which are desired for device fabrication This project intends to study how superlattices with different morphologies can be produced by out-of-equilibrium self-assembly. (AU)