Related papers: How semiconductor nanoplatelets form
We develop a nucleation-based model to explain the formation of the wurtzite (WZ) crystalline phase during the vapor-liquid-solid growth of free-standing nanowires of zinc-blende (ZB) semiconductors. We first show that, in nanowires,…
The ground state structures of small silicon clusters are determined through exhaustive tight-binding molecular dynamics simulation studies. These simulations revealed that \Si{11} is an icosahedron with one missing cap, \Si{12} is a…
Metallic nanoclusters displaying electronic shell structure exhibit the special feature of a correlation between their geometry and the number of delocalized electrons . Their shape evolution can be described as a quantum oscillation…
Growth of nanoclusters and nanopillars is considered in a model of surface deposition of building blocks (atoms) diffusionally transported from solution to the forming surface structure. Processes of surface restructuring are also accounted…
Nanocomposite thin films of Zinc Oxide and Silicon were grown by co-evaporating powdered ZnO and Si. This resulted in nanocrystallites of ZnO being embedded in Silicon. The mismatch in crystal structures of constituent materials result in…
Nanocomposite materials made of block copolymer and nanoparticles display properties which can be different from the purely polymeric matrix. The resulting material is a crossover of the original properties of the block copolymer and the…
Single-molecule photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) reveals the nature of exciton-phonon interactions in NCs. Understanding the narrow line shapes at low temperatures and the significant broadening as…
We introduce a new experimental approach to study the structural transitions of large numbers of nanoparticle-coated droplets as their volume is reduced. We use an emulsion system where the dispersed phase is slightly soluble in the…
We examine nanoparticles (NPs) forming polyhedral sections of the ideal cubic lattice, simple (sc), body centered (bcc), and face centered (fcc) cubic, which are confined by facets characterized by densest and second densest {h k l}…
Simulations and experiments of nanorods (NRs) show that co-assembly with block copolymer (BCP) melts leads to the formation of a superstructure of side-to-side NRs perpendicular to the lamellar axis. A mesoscopic model is validated against…
We present a dynamical model of crystal growth, in which it is possible to reliably achieve asymmetric products, beginning from symmetric initial conditions and growing within an isotropic environment. The asymmetric growth is the result of…
Spontaneous strain and spontaneous folding of thin nanoplatelets are known phenomena whose microscopic mechanisms are still debating. In this work, first-principles calculations are used to study the mechanical stresses that arise in Janus…
During the last 3 years, our group has investigated extensively the complexation mechanism between neutral-polyelectrolyte block copolymers with oppositely charged species. These species are surfactant micelles, multivalent counterions and…
Recent theoretical calculations and photoemission spectroscopy measurements on the bulk Bi2Se3 material show that it is a three-dimensional topological insulator possessing conductive surface states with nondegenerate spins, attractive for…
The colloidal processing of nearly monodisperse and highly crystalline single-domain ferroelectric or ferromagnetic nanocubes is a promising route to produce superlattice structures for integration into next-generation devices, whereas…
Optical response of artificial composite nanoscale molecules comprising a closely spaced noble metal nanoparticle and a semiconductor quantum dot have been studied theoretically. We consider a system composed of an Au particle and CdSe or…
The generation of nanoscale square and stripe patterns is of major technological importance since they are compatible with industry-standard electronic circuitry. Recently, a blend of diblock copolymer interacting via hydrogen-bonding was…
Images of uniform and upright nanowires are fascinating, but often, they are quite puzzling, when epitaxial templating from the substrate is clearly absent. Here, we reveal the physics underlying one such hidden growth guidance mechanism…
Silicon self-assembly at step edges in the initial stage of homoepitaxial growth on a vicinal Si(111) surface is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The resulting atomic structures change dramatically from a parallel array of…
Co-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructured polymer matrix represents an intricate interplay of enthalpic or entropic forces. Particle size largely affects the phase behavior of the nanocomposite. Theoretical studies…