Abstract

We demonstrate that it is possible to convert CdSe nanocrystals of a given size, shape (either spherical or rod shaped), and crystal structure (either hexagonal wurtzite, i.e., hexagonal close packed (hcp), or cubic sphalerite, i.e., face-centered cubic (fcc)), into ZnSe nanocrystals that preserve all these characteristics of the starting particles (i.e., size, shape, and crystal structure), via a sequence of two cation exchange reactions, namely, Cd(2+) ⇒Cu(+) ⇒Zn(2+). When starting from hexagonal wurtzite CdSe nanocrystals, the exchange of Cd(2+) with Cu(+) yields Cu(2)Se nanocrystals in a metastable hexagonal phase, of which we could follow the transformation to the more stable fcc phase for a single nanorod, under the electron microscope. Remarkably, these metastable hcp Cu(2)Se nanocrystals can be converted in solution into ZnSe nanocrystals, which yields ZnSe nanocrystals in a pure hcp phase.

Keywords

NanocrystalMetastabilityPhase (matter)Materials scienceCrystal (programming language)CrystallographyChemical physicsNanotechnologyChemical engineeringChemistryOrganic chemistry

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Publication Info

Year
2011
Type
article
Volume
11
Issue
11
Pages
4964-4970
Citations
332
Access
Closed

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Cite This

Hongbo Li, Marco Zanella, Alessandro Genovese et al. (2011). Sequential Cation Exchange in Nanocrystals: Preservation of Crystal Phase and Formation of Metastable Phases. Nano Letters , 11 (11) , 4964-4970. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl202927a

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DOI
10.1021/nl202927a