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Tunable interactions between colloidal particles, governed by external rotating electric or magnetic fields, yield rich capabilities for prospective self-assembly technologies of materials and fundamental particle-resolved studies of phase transitions and transport phenomena in soft matter. However, the role of the internal structure of colloidal particles in the tunable interactions has never been systematically investigated. Here, we study the tunable interactions between composite particles with core–shell structure in a rotating electric field and show that the engineering of their internal structure provides an effective tool for designing the interactions. We generalized an integral theory and studied the tunable interactions between core–shell particles with homogeneous cores (layered particles) and cores with nano-inclusions to reveal the main trends in the interactions influenced by the structure. We found that depending on the materials of the core, shell, and solvent, the interactions with the attractive pairwise part and positive or negative three-body part can be obtained, as well as pairwise repulsion with attractive three-body interactions (for triangular triplets). The latter case is observed for the first time, being unattainable for homogeneous particles but feasible with core–shell particles: Qualitatively similar interactions are inherent to charged colloids (repulsive pairwise and attractive three-body energies), known as a model system of globular proteins. The methods and conclusions of our paper can be generalized for magnetic and 3D colloidal systems. The results make a significant advance in the analysis of tunable interactions in colloidal systems, which are of broad interest in condensed matter, chemical physics, physical chemistry, materials science, and soft matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-Stokes photoluminescence (ASPL) is an up-conversion phonon-assisted process of radiative recombination of photoexcited charge carriers when the ASPL photon energy is above the excitation one. This process can be very efficient in nanocrystals (NCs) of metalorganic and inorganic semiconductors with perovskite (Pe) crystal structure. In this review, we present an analysis of the basic mechanisms of ASPL and discuss its efficiency depending on the size distribution and surface passivation of Pe-NCs as well as the optical excitation energy and temperature. When the ASPL process is sufficiently efficient, it can result in an escape of most of the optical excitation together with the phonon energy from the Pe-NCs. It can be used in optical fully solid-state cooling or optical refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoelectric properties of the F8BT polymer are investigated by the Constant photocurrent method (CPM) based on the photocurrent spectra Δjph(hν) and absorption spectra αCPM(hν). The negligibly weak dependence of charge carriers lifetime on the photon energy is found for hν = 2.2–2.7 eV. The peculiarities of the absorption spectra and the photoconductivity spectra are revealed to be determined mainly by the Gaussian distribution of the density of states (DOS). The density of trap states in the F8BT polymer thin films in the exponential DOS is estimated to be 103 times higher than in the Gaussian DOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoconductivity in thin films of a new composite based on CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs) and PCDTBT polymer has been studied using photoconductivity temperature dependences, current-voltage and lux-ampere measurements at various temperatures and applied bias. The incorporation of 7 vol% of NPLs into the polymer blend led to an increase in photoconductivity by an order of magnitude compared to the pristine PCDTBT film in the temperature range of 310–360 K and the electric field strength above 200 V cm−1. An analysis of current-voltage characteristics measured at various temperatures demonstrated that the observed increase in the photoconductivity of the composite is due to a change in the transport mechanism of nonequilibrium charge carriers with an increase in their concentration. The observed saturation of photoconductivity with increasing temperature is supposed to occur due to the increase in exciton diffusion length with temperature increasing and limited effective exciton generation area. [Display omitted] • A bulk heterojunction can be created by embedding the CdSe nanoplatelets into the photoconductive PCDTBT matrix. • The embedding nanoplatelets into polymer increases the material photoconductivity by over an order of magnitude. • The photoconductivity enhancement is caused by increase in photogeneration rate related electron and hole separation. • The effect of nanoplatelets on the charge carrier transport was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exciton-exciton interaction and phonon-induced cascade relaxation of free electrons and holes determine the dynamic of stationary resonantly excited excitons in CdSe/CdS nanoplatelets. Along with saturation of the heavy-hole and light-hole exciton transitions explained by the phase space filling effect the exciton-exciton interaction increases and starts to play a significant role in excitons dynamic. The lowest four band structure of CdSe/CdS nanoplatelets at the Γ point of Brillouin zone and its modification with CdS shell thickness changing are experimentally investigated for the first time. Bleaching of the two additional to the heavy- and light-hole exciton transitions with the energies higher than the absorbed photons energy can occur at room temperature due to rapid cascade relaxation of free electrons and holes formed as a result of the exciton-exciton interaction. To analyze the recombination and interaction of excitons in the colloidal nanoplatelets under high excitation densities the rate equations describing the exciton-exciton and exciton-electron interactions are applied. • The lowest four band structure of CdSe/CdS nanoplatelets are investigated. • The exciton-exciton interaction plays a significant role at high excitation densities. • High energy transitions bleaching occur due to cascade relaxation of free carriers. • Exciton transitions saturation are determined by phase space filling effect. • The exciton-exciton and exciton-electron interactions are analized by rate equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]