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Quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSC) may benefit from the ability to tune the quantum dot optical properties and band gap through the manipulation of their size and composition. Moreover, the inorganic nanocrystals may provide increased stability compared to organic sensitizers. We report the facile fabrication of QDSSC by electrophoretic deposition of CdSe QDs onto conducting electrodes coated with mesoporous TiO(2). Unlike prior chemical linker-based methods, no pretreatment of the TiO(2) was needed, and deposition times as short as 2 h were sufficient for effective coating. Cross-sectional chemical analysis shows that the Cd content is nearly constant across the entire TiO(2) layer. The dependence of the deposition on size was studied and successfully applied to CdSe dots with diameters between 2.5 and 5.5 nm as well as larger CdSe quantum rods. The photovoltaic characteristics of the devices are greatly improved compared with those achieved for cells prepared with a linker approach, reaching efficiencies as high as 1.7%, under 1 sun illumination conditions, after treating the coated electrodes with ZnS. Notably, the absorbed photon to electron conversion efficiencies did not show a clear size-dependence indicating efficient electron injection even for the larger QD sizes. The electrophoretic deposition method can be easily expanded and applied for preparations of QDSSCs using diverse colloidal quantum dot and quantum rod materials for sensitization.

Electrical current measurements through individually wired colloidal CdSe nanorods exhibit pronounced multistability. This current switching is analogous to the widely observed fluorescence intermittency in similar systems and may be associated with surface charge dynamics. Such association is quantitatively established for the case when the current is bistable, where the probability of the sojourn time t at the high or low current state follows an exponential dependence. Remarkably, this behavior can be modeled by charging dynamics of a single surface trap, whose position could be estimated from the intermittent current-voltage characteristics. The methodology presented here provides a unique route for charge dynamic sensing at the nanoscale, where the nanorod senses its own surface charge.

Fundamental properties: The molar absorption coefficients of CdSe quantum rods are determined experimentally as a function of their dimensions (see figure). Far above the band gap a simple dependence on volume is seen. The behavior at the band gap manifests a concentration of oscillator strength with decreased diameter in agreement with strong quantum confinement behavior.

Electrostatic force microscopy is used to study light-induced charging in single hybrid Au-CdSe nanodumbbells. Upon illumination, nanodumbbells show negative charging, which is in contrast with CdSe rods and Au particles that show positive charging. This different behavior is attributed to charge separation in the nanodumbbells, where after excitation the electron is transferred to the gold tips and the hole is subsequently filled through tunneling interactions with the substrate. The process of light-induced charge separation at the metal-semiconductor interface is key for the photocatalytic activity of such hybrid metal-semiconductor nanostructures.

A coarse-grained lattice gas model is developed to study the drying-mediated self-assembly of nanoparticles on diblock copolymer substrates. The model describes the nanoparticles, the solvent and the diblock copolymer on length scales that are typical to the solvent bulk correlation length. Monte Carlo simulation techniques are used to delineate the various mechanisms of this out-of-equilibrium hierarchical self-assembly. Several different assembly scenarios corresponding to different selectivity of the nanoparticles/liquid/substrate are discussed. The role of surface tension, evaporation rate, diffusion rate, nanoparticle coverage, and diblock copolymer periodicity is explored. Optimal conditions to form a stripe phase of nanoparticles along with predictions of novel 3D structures resulting from high nanoparticle and solvent selectivity are described.

Multicomponent nanoparticles represent a new approach for creating smart materials, requiring the development of the growth of different material types on one particle. Here, we report the synthesis of asymmetric metal–semiconductor heterostructures where gold is grown on one side of CdSe nanocrystal quantum rods and dots, creating nanostructures offering intrinsic asymmetry for diverse device functionalities such as diode elements, along with one-sided chemical accessibility through the gold tips. Surprisingly, one-sided growth is preceded by two-sided growth and is generally observed in different particle shapes. Theoretical modelling in a lattice-gas model and experimental analysis show that a ripening process drives gold from one end to the other, transforming two-sided growth to one-sided growth. Ripening is therefore occurring on the nanostructure itself, leading to a phase-segregated structure. This thereby extends the realm of ripening phenomena and their significance in nanostructure synthesis, in particular for nanocrystals composed of different materials.

Gold growth onto CdSe seeded CdS nanorods is studied. Preferential growth of gold onto the position of the CdSe seed is identified. The mechanism of growth is assigned to an electrochemical Ostwald ripening process.

The effect of the shape of nanocrystal sensitizers in photoelectrochemical cells is reported. CdSe quantum rods of different dimensions were effectively deposited rapidly by electrophoresis onto mesoporous TiO(2) electrodes and compared with quantum dots. Photovoltaic efficiency values of up to 2.7% were measured for the QRSSC, notably high values for TiO(2) solar cells with ex situ synthesized nanoparticle sensitizers. The quantum rod-based solar cells exhibit a red shift of the electron injection onset and charge recombination is significantly suppressed compared to dot sensitizers. The improved photoelectrochemical characteristics of the quantum rods over the dots as sensitizers is assigned to the elongated shape, allowing the build-up of a dipole moment along the rod that leads to a downward shift of the TiO(2) energy bands relative to the quantum rods, leading to improved charge injection.

We report the synthesis of CdSe/CdS rod in rod core/shell heterostructures. These rods, synthesized using a seeded-growth approach, show narrow distributions of rod diameters and lengths and exhibit high emission quantum efficiencies and highly polarized emission. The degree of polarization is controlled by the inner core rod dimensions, and it is equal or up to 1.5 times higher than the polarization of equivalent sphere in rod systems. Using the method of photoselection we measure the polarization anisotropy at different excitation wavelengths and study the interplay between electronic contribution and dielectric effects in determining the absorption and emission polarization.

Two-dimensional, hierarchical assemblies of nanorods were obtained by exploiting the structures afforded by block copolymers in ultrathin films. Under the appropriate conditions, the nanorods segregate to the film surface already upon casting the composite film, and organize with the block copolymer through phase separation. In this paper we compare the structures formed by CdSe nanorods of three different lengths and two polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymers with different nanorods/copolymer ratios, and study the temporal evolution of the structure in each case. It is found that the initial morphology of the film largely dictates the resulting structure. The combination of short nanorods and/or short copolymers is shown to be more prone to morphological defects, while assembling long nanorods with long copolymers leads to highly organized nanorod morphologies. These phenomena are explained by a combination of kinetic and thermodynamic factors.

We report wiring of individual colloidal nanorods (NRs), 30-60 nm long by 3.5-5 nm diameter. Strong electrical coupling is achieved by electron beam induced deposition (EBID) of metallic lines targeting NR tips with nanometric precision. At T = 4 K many devices exhibit smooth I(V) curves with no sharp onset features, which remarkably fit a Fowler-Nordheim tunneling model. All devices exhibit an anomalous exponential temperature dependence of the form I approximately exp(T/T(0)). This irregular behavior cannot be explained by any hopping or activation model and is interpreted by accounting for the lowering of the NR conduction band due to lattice dilation and phonon coupling.

Best of both worlds: Reduction of an organometallic Co precursor on preformed CdSe nanorods yields two distinct semiconducting-magnetic heterostructures (see picture). The selective growth of Co on the tips of CdSe first gives nanosphere-nanorod dimers, which evolve into nanorod-nanorod structures. In the hybrid objects the magnetic properties of Co remain intact, while the luminescence properties of CdSe are affected but not completely quenched.

Visible light photocatalysis is a promising route for harnessing of solar energy to perform useful chemical reactions and to convert light to chemical energy. Nanoscale photocatalytic systems used to date were based mostly on oxide semiconductors aided by metal deposition and were operational only under UV illumination. Additionally, the degree of control over particle size and shape was limited. We report visible light photocatalysis using highly controlled hybrid gold-tipped CdSe nanorods (nanodumbbells). Under visible light irradiation, charge separation takes place between the semiconductor and metal parts of the hybrid particles. The charge-separated state was then utilized for direct photoreduction of a model acceptor molecule, methylene blue, or alternatively, retained for later use to perform the reduction reaction in the dark.

Gold-tipped CdSe rods (nanodumbbells) were solubilized in an aqueous phase and self-assembled in a head-to-tail manner using biotin disulfide and avidin. The disulfide end of the biotin molecule attaches to the gold tip of the nanodumbbell, and the biotin end of the molecule is able to conjugate to an avidin protein. The avidin can strongly conjugate up to four biotin molecules. Changing the ratios of biotin to nanodumbbells leads to the formation of dimers, trimers, and flowerlike structures. To further improve the distribution of chain lengths, a separation method based upon weight was applied using a concentration gradient. The gold tips provide effective anchor points for constructing complex nanorod structures by self-assembly.