Biological systems utilize a combination of asymmetry, noise, and chemical energy to produce motion in the highly damped environment of the cell with molecular motors, many of which are “ratchets”, nonequilibrium devices for producing directed transport using nondirectional perturbations without a net bias. The underlying ratchet principle has been implemented in man-made micro- and nanodevices to transport charged particles by oscillating an electric potential with repeating asymmetric features. In this experimental study, the ratcheting of electrons in an organic semiconductor is optimized by tuning the temporal modulation of the oscillating potential, applied using nanostructured electrodes. An analytical model of steady-state carrier dynamics is used to determine that symmetry-breaking motion of carriers through the thickness of the polymer layer enables even temporally unbiased waveforms (e.g., sine) to produce current, an advance that could allow the future use of electromagnetic radiation to power ratchets. The analysis maps the optimal operating frequency of the ratchet to the mobility of the transport layer and the spatial periodicity of the potential, and relates the dependence on the temporal waveform to the dielectric characteristics and thickness of the layer.Keywords: Brownian motor; charge transport; nonequilibrium; organic semiconductor; Ratchet; temporal modulation;

This Letter describes the reversible modulation of the electrostatic potential at the interface between a colloidal PbS quantum dot (QD) and solvent, through the protonation equilibrium of the QD’s histamine-derivatized dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) ligand shell. The electrostatic potential is sensitively monitored by the yield of photoinduced electron transfer from the QD to a charged electron acceptor, 9,10-anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQ). The permeability of the DHLA coating to the AQ progressively increases as the average degree of protonation of the ligand shell increases from 0 to 92%, as quantified by 1H NMR, upon successive additions of p-toluenesulfonic acid; this increase results in a decrease in the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the QDs by a factor of 6.7. The increase in permeability is attributable to favorable electrostatic interactions between the ligands and AQ. This work suggests the potential of the combination of near-IR-emitting QDs and molecular quenchers as robust local H+ sensors.

This paper describes control of the rate constant for near-infrared excitonic energy transfer (EnT) within soluble aqueous assemblies of PbS quantum dots, cross-linked by Zn2+, by changing the length of the mercapto-alkanoic acid (MAA) that serves as the cross-linking ligand. Sequestration of Zn2+ by a chelating agent or zinc hydroxide species results in deaggregation of the assemblies with EnT turned “off”. Upon decreasing the number of methylene groups in MAAs from 16 to 3, the interparticle separation decreases from 5.8 nm to 3.7 nm and the average observed EnT rate increases from ∼(150 ns)−1 to ∼(2 ns)−1. A master equation translates intrinsic (single-donor–single-acceptor) EnT rate constants predicted for each ligand length using Förster theory to observed average rate constants. For interparticle distances greater than ∼4 nm, the point dipole approximation (PDA) implementation of Förster theory agrees with experimentally measured rates. At shorter interparticle distances, the PDA drastically underestimates the observed EnT rate. The prediction of the rates of these short-distance EnT processes is improved by ∼20% by replacing the PDA with a transition density cube calculation of the interparticle Coulombic coupling.Keywords: cross-linking; energy transfer; Förster theory; near-infrared; quantum dot assemblies; transition density cube method;

This Perspective reviews strategies for tuning the surface chemistry of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots, QDs) to function as photoredox catalysts or sensitizers of redox catalysts for organic transformations. These strategies include (i) tuning surface charge density to encourage high-affinity interactions between the QD and substrate (or co-catalyst) in the absence of a covalent linkage, (ii) maximizing the QD’s catalytic surface area through ligand exchange, (iii) using “hole shuttle” ligands to efficiently extract oxidative equivalents from the QD core, and (iv) controlling the concentration of protons on the QD surface to lower the kinetic barrier for proton-coupled electron-transfer reactions.

This paper describes the role of tetraalkylammonium counterions [NR4+, R = −CH3, −CH2CH3, −(CH2)2CH3, or −(CH2)3CH3] in gating the electrostatic potential at the interface between the 6-mercaptohexanoate (MHA) ligand shell of a PbS quantum dot (QD) and water. The permeability of this ligand shell to a negatively charged anthraquinone derivative (AQ), measured from the yield of electron transfer (eT) from the QD core to AQ, increases as the steric bulk of NR4+ increases (for a given concentration of NR4+). This result indicates that bulkier counterions screen repulsive interactions at the ligand/solvent interface more effectively than smaller counterions. Free energy scaling analysis and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that ion pairing between the ligand shell of the QD and NR4+ results from a combination of electrostatic and van der Waals components, and that the van der Waals interaction promotes ion pairing with longer-chain counterions and more effective screening. This work provides molecular-level details that dictate a nanoparticle’s electrostatic potential and demonstrates the sensitivity of the yield of photoinduced charge transfer between a QD and a molecular probe to even low-affinity binding events at the QD/solvent interface.

van der Waals heterojunctions between two-dimensional (2D) layered materials and nanomaterials of different dimensions present unique opportunities for gate-tunable optoelectronic devices. Mixed-dimensional p–n heterojunction diodes, such as p-type pentacene (0D) and n-type monolayer MoS2 (2D), are especially interesting for photovoltaic applications where the absorption cross-section and charge transfer processes can be tailored by rational selection from the vast library of organic molecules and 2D materials. Here, we study the kinetics of excited carriers in pentacene–MoS2 p–n type-II heterojunctions by transient absorption spectroscopy. These measurements show that the dissociation of MoS2 excitons occurs by hole transfer to pentacene on the time scale of 6.7 ps. In addition, the charge-separated state lives for 5.1 ns, up to an order of magnitude longer than the recombination lifetimes from previously reported 2D material heterojunctions. By studying the fractional amplitudes of the MoS2 decay processes, the hole transfer yield from MoS2 to pentacene is found to be ∼50%, with the remaining holes undergoing trapping due to surface defects. Overall, the ultrafast charge transfer and long-lived charge-separated state in pentacene–MoS2 p–n heterojunctions suggest significant promise for mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures in photovoltaics, photodetectors, and related optoelectronic technologies.Keywords: charge transfer; Organic; transient absorption spectroscopy; transition metal dichalcogenide; ultrafast;

This article is an accessible introduction to ratchets and their potential uses. A ratchet can dramatically improve directional transport of classical or quantum particles in systems that are dominated by random diffusion. The key idea is that ratchets do not overcome poor conductivity with strong gradients, but rather use non-directional sources of energy like heat or chemical energy to power unidirectional transport, making the ratchet a Maxwell's demon. We introduce the ratchet concept and its inspiration from biology, discuss the terminology used in the field, and examine current progress and ideas in ratcheting electrons and classical particles.

Reversible coupling of glutathione-capped PbS quantum dots through coordination with Zn2+ cations forms water-soluble aggregates. These assemblies mediate multi-step hopping of near-infrared excitons through unity-quantum yield Förster resonance energy transfer. The photoluminescence spectra from these samples are sensitive indicators of average interparticle distance.

The subject of this review is the colloidal quantum dot (QD) and specifically the interaction of the QD with proximate molecules. It covers various functions of these molecules, including (i) ligands for the QDs, coupled electronically or vibrationally to localized surface states or to the delocalized states of the QD core, (ii) energy or electron donors or acceptors for the QDs, and (iii) structural components of QD assemblies that dictate QD–QD or QD–molecule interactions. Research on interactions of ligands with colloidal QDs has revealed that ligands determine not only the excited state dynamics of the QD but also, in some cases, its ground state electronic structure. Specifically, the article discusses (i) measurement of the electronic structure of colloidal QDs and the influence of their surface chemistry, in particular, dipolar ligands and exciton-delocalizing ligands, on their electronic energies; (ii) the role of molecules in interfacial electron and energy transfer processes involving QDs, including electron-to-vibrational energy transfer and the use of the ligand shell of a QD as a semipermeable membrane that gates its redox activity; and (iii) a particular application of colloidal QDs, photoredox catalysis, which exploits the combination of the electronic structure of the QD core and the chemistry at its surface to use the energy of the QD excited state to drive chemical reactions.

Increasing the fraction of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol (PFDT) in the mixed-PFDT/oleate ligand shell of a PbS quantum dot (QD) dramatically reduces the permeability of the ligand shell to alkyl-substituted benzoquinones (s-BQs), as measured by a decrease in the efficiency of collisional photoinduced electron transfer. Replacing only 21% of the oleates on the QD surface with PFDT reduces the yield of photo-oxidation by tetramethyl BQ by 68%. Experiments with s-BQ quenchers of two different sizes reveal that the degree of protection provided by the PFDT-doped monolayer, relative to a decanethiolate (DT)-doped monolayer at similar coverage, is due to both size exclusion (PFDT is larger and more rigid than DT), and the oleophobicity of PFDT. This work demonstrates the usefulness of fluorinated ligands in designing molecule-selective and potentially corrosion-inhibiting surface coatings for QDs for applications as robust emitters or high fidelity sensing platforms.

This paper describes the use of cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs) as visible-light photocatalysts for the reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline through six sequential photoinduced, proton-coupled electron transfers. At pH 3.6–4.3, the internal quantum yield of photons-to-reducing electrons is 37.1% over 54 h of illumination, with no apparent decrease in catalyst activity. Monitoring of the QD exciton by transient absorption reveals that, for each step in the catalytic cycle, the sacrificial reductant, 3-mercaptopropionic acid, scavenges the excitonic hole in ∼5 ps to form QD•–; electron transfer to nitrobenzene or the intermediates nitrosobenzene and phenylhydroxylamine then occurs on the nanosecond time scale. The rate constants for the single-electron transfer reactions are correlated with the driving forces for the corresponding proton-coupled electron transfers. This result suggests, but does not prove, that electron transfer, not proton transfer, is rate-limiting for these reactions. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the QD–molecule systems shows that the photoproduct aniline, left unprotonated, serves as a poison for the QD catalyst by adsorbing to its surface. Performing the reaction at an acidic pH not only encourages aniline to desorb but also increases the probability of protonated intermediates; the latter effect probably ensures that recruitment of protons is not rate-limiting.

Energy transfer (EnT) of near-infrared (NIR) excitons enables applications in harvesting of solar energy and biological imaging. Fast exciton extraction from NIR-absorbing Pb-chalcogenide quantum dots (QDs) may allow utilization of the photon downconversion (multiple exciton generation) process that occurs in those QDs to amplify signal in QD-based sensors or photocurrent in QD-based photovoltaics. This paper describes subnanosecond extraction of NIR excitons from PbS QDs by adsorbed J-aggregates of cyanine dye in aqueous dispersions. The QD/J-aggregate complexes form through electrostatic self-assembly, and the rate and yield of EnT within the complexes can be optimized by adjusting spectral overlap between QD emission and the J-aggregate absorption, which are controlled by density of charged ligands on the QD surface and the pH. The primary EnT pathways have rate constants ranging from (800 ps)−1 to (2.2 ns)−1, which are 1–2 orders of magnitude faster than previously reported examples with PbS QDs as exciton donors. The fastest EnT process occurs in 90 ps and is potentially competitive with Auger recombination of biexcitonic states in PbS QDs.

This paper describes the control of electron exchange between a colloidal PbS quantum dot (QD) and a negatively charged small molecule (9,10-anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid sodium salt, AQ), through tuning of the charge density in the ligand shell of the QD, within an aqueous dispersion. The probability of electron exchange, measured through steady-state and time-resolved optical spectroscopy, is directly related to the permeability of the protective ligand shell, which is a mixed monolayer of negatively charged 6-mercaptohexanoate (MHA) and neutral 6-mercaptohexanol (MHO), to AQ. The composition of the ligand shell is quantitatively characterized by 1H NMR. The dependence of the change in Gibbs free energy, ΔGobs, for the diffusion of AQ through the charged ligand shell and its subsequent adsorption to the QD surface is well-described with an electrostatic double-layer model for the QD/solvent interface. Fits of the optical data to this model yield an increase in the free energy for transfer of AQ from bulk solution to the surface of the QD (where it exchanges electrons with the QD) of 154 J/mol upon introduction of each additional charged MHA ligand to the ligand shell. This work expands the set of chemical parameters useful for controlling the redox activity of QDs via surface modification and suggests strategies for the use of nanoparticles for molecular and biomolecular recognition within chemically complex environments and for design of chemically stable nanoparticles for aqueous photocatalytic systems.

This paper describes a procedure for transferring colloidal CdS and CdSe quantum dots (QDs) from organic solvents to water by exchanging their native hydrophobic ligands for phosphonopropionic acid (PPA) ligands, which bind to the QD surface through the phosphonate group. This method, which uses dimethylformamide as an intermediate transfer solvent, was developed in order to produce high-quality water-soluble QDs with neither a sulfur-containing ligand nor a polymer encapsulation layer, both of which have disadvantages in applications of QDs to photocatalysis and biological imaging. CdS (CdSe) QDs were transferred to water with a 43% (48%) yield using PPA. The photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield for PPA-capped CdSe QDs is larger than that for QDs capped with the analogous sulfur-containing ligand, mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), by a factor of 4 at pH 7, and by up to a factor of 100 under basic conditions. The MPA ligands within MPA-capped QDs oxidize at Eox ∼ +1.7 V versus SCE, whereas cyclic voltammograms of PPA-capped QDs show no discerible oxidation peaks at applied potentials up to +2.5 V versus SCE. The PPA-capped QDs are chemically and colloidally stable for at least 5 days in the dark, even in the presence of O2, and are stable when continuously illuminated for 5 days, when oxygen is excluded and a sacrificial reductant is present to capture photogenerated holes.

This paper describes the changes in surface chemistry that occur in oleate-capped CdS quantum dots (QDs) upon dilution from NMR-relevant concentrations (10 μM) to photoluminescence (PL)-relevant concentrations (0.1 μM) and the consequences these changes have on the relative probabilities of radiative and nonradiative decay of the QD exciton. Characterization of the QD surface by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy reveals that upon dilution in three solvents, C6D6, C6D12, and CDCl3, oleate ligands, in the form of cadmium oleate and CdxOAy clusters, desorb. Changes in the ligand coverage by 30–40% do not impact the solubility of the QDs, do not have measurable influence on the absorption or PL line widths, produce small (±0.05), nonmonotonic changes in the relative PL quantum yield, and produce small, nonmonotonic changes the relative partitioning between band-edge and “trapped” exciton emission. Desorption of surface ligands as a result of dilution of the QDs does, however, make the QDs more redox-active with respect to a small-molecule photooxidant, benzoquinone (BQ), because less dense organic adlayers allow a greater number of BQs to permeate the ligand shell and adsorb to the QD surface. Unlike previous studies, in which the QD concentrations used for NMR characterization were more than a factor of 10 higher than those used for optical measurements, this study directly correlates the surface composition of the QDs to their photophysical properties.

Displacement of cadmium oleate (Cd(oleate)2) ligands for the exciton-delocalizing ligand 4-hexylphenyldithiocarbamate (C6-PTC) on the surfaces of CdS quantum dots (QDs) causes a decrease in the band gap (Eg) of the QD of ∼100 meV for QDs with a radius of 1.9 nm and ∼50 meV for QDs with a radius of 2.5 nm. The primary mechanism of this decrease in band gap, deduced in previous work, is a decrease in the confinement barrier for the excitonic hole. The increase in apparent excitonic radius of the QD that corresponds to this decrease in Eg is denoted ΔR. The dependence of ΔR on the surface coverage of C6-PTC, measured by 1H NMR spectroscopy, appears to be nonlinear. Calculations of the excitonic energy of a CdS QD upon displacement of native insulating ligands with exciton-delocalizing ligands using a 3D spherical potential well model show that this response includes the contributions to ΔR from both isolated, bound C6-PTC ligands and groups of adjacent C6-PTC ligands. Fits to the experimental plots of ΔR vs surface coverage of C6-PTC with a statistical model that includes the probability of formation of clusters of bound C6-PTC on the QD surface allow for the extraction of the height of the confinement barrier presented by a single, isolated C6-PTC molecule to the excitonic hole. This barrier height is less than 0.6 eV for QDs with a radius of 1.9 nm and between 0.6 and 1.2 eV for QDs with a radius of 2.5 nm.Keywords: dithiocarbamate; exciton delocalization; ligand−ligand coupling; quantum dot;

This paper describes density-functional-theory-based computations of resonance Raman (RR) spectra of ligand molecules adsorbed to the surface of a Cd16Se13 cluster. Signals from asymmetric vibrational modes of ligand binding groups, such as the asymmetric O–C–O stretching modes of carboxylates, are enhanced relative to the symmetric vibrational modes when the excitation energy is on-resonance with the excitonic energy of the cluster. Certain ligand molecules have frontier orbitals with the correct energies and symmetries to mix with the orbitals of the CdSe cluster, and as a result, the wave functions of the electron and the hole delocalize from the cluster onto the ligand molecules; experimentally, this delocalization results in a bathochromic shift of the band edge excitonic absorption. Increased excitonic delocalization results in greater vibronic coupling between the exciton and the ligand vibrations and, on average, preferential enhancements in the RR signals of those vibrations. This work suggests that the use of exciton-delocalizing ligands to optimize electronic coupling between neighboring CdSe nanoparticles may, at the same time, enhance the rates of nonradiative exciton decay by coupling the exciton and ligand vibrational modes.

This paper describes the ordering of PbS nanocubes (NCs) within free-standing monolayers (suspended on acetonitrile), upon exchanging the native oleate ligands for a series of thiolate and carboxylate ligands at the liquid–air interface. Treatment with either carboxylic acids or thiols effectively decreases the inter-NC separation of nearest-neighbor particles without etching the NC surface. Dicarboxylic acids and dithiols bridge neighboring NCs with an interparticle separation that is consistent with fully extended, bridging ligands. Monocarboxylic acids and monothiols separate NCs by an amount governed by their length, with long-chain ligands showing significant intercalation. 1H NMR spectroscopy shows carboxylic acids are more effective at replacing the native oleate than are thiols, which we ascribe to the lower pKa values of carboxylic acids. The fast exchange that occurs upon treatment with monocarboxylic acids kinetically traps the clusters of particles in nonclosed packed geometries, so monolayers treated with monocarboxylic acids are, on average, less ordered than those treated with monothiols. Ex situ electron microscopy and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) analyses of deposited films on Si/SiO2 substrates show that NCs exchanged with nonbridging ligands pack more efficiently at long length scales than do NCs exchanged with bridging ligands, due primarily to the creation of defects within the NC lattice in response to the rigidity of the bridging ligand.

This work describes the quantitative characterization of the interfacial chemical and electronic structure of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) coated in one of five p-substituted thiophenolates (X-TP, X = NH2, CH3O, CH3, Cl, or NO2), and the dependence of this structure on the p-substituent X. 1H NMR spectra of mixtures of CdSe QDs and X-TPs yield the number of X-TPs bound to the surface of each QD. The binding data, in combination with the shift in the energy of the first excitonic peak of the QDs as a function of the surface coverage of X-TP and Raman and NMR analysis of the mixtures, indicate that X-TP binds to CdSe QDs in at least three modes, two modes that are responsible for exciton delocalization and a third mode that does not affect the excitonic energy. The first two modes involve displacement of OPA from the QD core, whereas the third mode forms cadmium–thiophenolate complexes that are not electronically coupled to the QD core. Fits to the data using the dual-mode binding model also yield the values of Δr1, the average radius of exciton delocalization due to binding of the X-TP in modes 1 and 2. A 3D parametrized particle-in-a-sphere model enables the conversion of the measured value of Δr1 for each X-TP to the height of the potential barrier that the ligand presents for tunneling of excitonic hole into the interfacial region. The height of this barrier increases from 0.3 to 0.9 eV as the substituent, X, becomes more electron-withdrawing.

This paper describes the enhancement of the rate of hole transfer from a photoexcited CdS quantum dot (QD), with radius R = 2.0 nm, to a molecular acceptor, phenothiazine (PTZ), by linking the donor and acceptor through a phenyldithiocarbamate (PTC) linker, which is known to lower the confinement energy of the excitonic hole. Upon adsorption of PTC, the bandgap of the QD decreases due to delocalization of the exciton, primarily the excitonic hole, into interfacial states of mixed QD/PTC character. This delocalization enables hole transfer from the QD to PTZ in <300 fs (within the instrument response of the laser system) when linked by PTC, but not when linked by a benzoate group, which has a similar length and conjugation as PTC but does not delocalize the excitonic hole. Comparison of the two systems was aided by quantification of the surface coverage of benzoate and PTC-linked PTZ by 1H NMR. This work provides direct spectroscopic evidence of the enhancement of the rate of hole extraction from a colloidal QD through covalent linkage of a hole acceptor through an exciton-delocalizing ligand.Keywords: CdS quantum dot; dithiocarbamate; electronic coupling; exciton delocalization; hole transfer; transient absorption spectroscopy

This article describes density-functional-theory- (DFT-) based calculations of the rate constants for radiative (kR) and nonradiative (kNR) decay from the lowest singlet excited state (S1) to the ground state (S0) of a Cd16Se13 cluster ligated with various molecules in various binding geometries. The value of kR is suppressed by ligands whose localized orbitals, as a result of their binding geometry, become the cluster’s frontier orbitals and, thereby, decrease the overlap of the electron densities of the HOMO and LUMO necessary for efficient dipole coupling. Thiolate ligands in a monodentate geometry and dithioate ligands in a bridging geometry decrease kR in this manner. The value of kNR is also sensitive to the binding geometries of the ligands: binding geometries that are less rigid yield a greater change in nuclear coordinates between the S1 and S0 electronic states, which, in turn, increases the rate of nonradiative decay by maximizing the vibronic coupling between the band-edge exciton and the vibrational modes of the ligands. This work suggests that the photoluminescence quantum yield of CdSe nanoparticles can be maximized by ensuring that the bridging binding mode is the dominant binding mode of the ligands; bridging modes decrease the nonradiative decay rate and eliminate mid-band-gap trap states in all cases studied, except for dithioate ligands.

This paper describes the dependence of the DC conductivity, film charging dynamics, and transient photocurrent dynamics of quasi-two-dimensional arrays of thiocyanate-capped PbS nanocubes (NCs) on the edge length of the NC. Arrays were prepared monolayer-by-monolayer using self-assembly at a liquid–air interface. Across-film conductivity increases with NC size with a dependence consistent with a simple diffusional hopping model. Upon application of a constant source-drain bias, the measured dark current decays exponentially to a nonzero steady-state value as immobile hole traps fill. Illumination with 532-nm light produces a repeatable photoresponse, which also fits to an exponential function. The lifetimes associated with decay of the dark current and growth of the photocurrent both increase with increasing NC size. Comparison of the electrical data with electron microscopy images reveals that this trend is related to the connectivity of the percolation networks within the film, which depends on the interparticle order and, in turn, on the edge length of the NCs. Correlations between interparticle order and electrical properties are made possible by the highly ordered films that result from the liquid–air interface deposition method.

This paper describes an increase in the yield of collisionally gated photoinduced electron transfer (electron transfer events per collision) from oleate-capped PbS quantum dots (QDs) to benzoquinone (BQ) with increasing temperature (from 0 to 50 °C), due to increased permeability of the oleate adlayer of the QDs to BQ. The same changes in intermolecular structure of the adlayer that increase its permeability to BQ also increase its permeability to the solvent, toluene, resulting in a decrease in viscous drag and an apparent increase in the diffusion coefficient of the QDs, as measured by diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR. Comparison of NMR and transient absorption spectra of QDs capped with flexible oleate with those capped with rigid methylthiolate provides evidence that the temperature dependence of the permeability of the oleate ligand shell is due to formation of transient gaps in the adlayer through conformational fluctuations of the ligands.

This paper describes the use of a phenyl bis(dithiocarbamate) (PBTC) linker to enhance the quantum yield of photoinduced electron transfer (eT) from a zinc porphyrin (ZnP) molecule (donor) to a CdSe quantum dot (QD) (acceptor), where quantum yield is defined as the fraction of photoexcited ZnP molecules in the sample that donate an electron to the QD. The PBTC ligand links the ZnP to the QD by coordinating to Cd2+ on the surface of the QD and the Zn metal center in ZnP via its dithiocarbamate groups. Compared with the donor–acceptor complex formed in the absence of PBTC linkers, where the ZnP molecule adsorbs to the QD through its carboxylate moiety, the PBTC linkage increases the binding affinity between ZnP molecules and QDs by an order of magnitude, from 1.0 × 105 ± (0.7 × 104) M–1 to 1.0 × 106 ± (1.0 × 105) M–1, and thereby increases the eT quantum yield by, for example, a factor of 4 (from 8% to 38%) within mixtures where the molar ratio ZnP:QD = 1:1.

Displacement of native octylphosphonate (OPA) ligands for methylthiophenolate (CH3-TP) on the surfaces of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) causes a moderate (up to 50 meV) decrease in the band gap (Eg) of the QD. Plots of the corresponding increase in apparent excitonic radius, ΔR, of the QDs versus the surface coverage of CH3-TP, measured by 1H NMR, for several sizes of QDs reveal that this ligand adsorbs in two distinct binding modes, (1) a tightly bound mode (Ka = 1.0 ± 0.3 × 104 M–1) capable of exciton delocalization, and (2) a more weakly bound mode (Ka = 8.3 ± 9.9 × 102 M–1) that has no discernible effect on exciton confinement. For tightly bound CH3-TP, the degree of delocalization induced in the QD is approximately linearly related to the fractional surface area occupied by the ligand for all sizes of QDs. Comparison of the dependence of ΔR on surface coverage of CH3-TP over a range of physical radii of the QDs, R = 1.1–2.4 nm, to analogous plots simulated using a 3D spherical potential well model yield a value for the confinement barrier presented to the excitonic hole by tightly bound CH3-TP of ∼1 eV.

This paper describes the enhancement of the quantum yield of photoluminescence (PL) of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) upon the adsorption of an exciton-delocalizing ligand, phenyldithiocarbamate. Increasing the apparent excitonic radius by only 10% increases the value of the radiative rate constant by a factor of 1.8 and the PL quantum yield by a factor of 2.4. Ligand exchange therefore simultaneously perturbs the confinement energy of charge carriers and enhances the probability of band-edge transitions.

This paper describes the mechanisms of charge recombination on both the nanosecond and microsecond time scales in a donor–acceptor system comprising thiol-modified bis(diarylamino)4,4′-biphenyl (TPD) molecules attached to a CdS quantum dot (QD) via the thiolate linker. Transient absorption measurements, in conjunction with EPR and magnetic field effect studies, demonstrate that recombination on the nanosecond time scale is mediated by radical pair intersystem crossing (RP-ISC), as evidenced by the observation of a spin correlated radical ion pair, the formation of the localized 3*TPD state upon charge recombination, and the sensitivity of the yield of 3*TPD to an applied magnetic field. These experiments show that the radical spins of the donor–acceptor system have weak magnetic exchange coupling (|2J| < 10 mT) and that the electron donated to the QD is trapped in a surface state rather than delocalized within the QD lattice. The microsecond-time scale recombination is probably gated by diffusion of the trapped electron among QD surface states. This study demonstrates that magneto-optical studies are useful for characterizing the charge-separated states of molecule–QD hybrid systems, despite the heterogeneity in the donor–acceptor geometry and the chemical environment of the radical spins that is inherent to these systems.

This paper describes the mechanism by which reaction of sulfur with 1-octadecene (ODE) induces a change in the shape of PbS quantum dots (QDs), synthesized from the S/ODE precursor and lead(II) oleate, from cubic to hexapodal by altering the ligand chemistry of the growing QDs. 1H NMR and optical spectroscopies indicate that extended heating of sulfur and ODE at 180 °C produces a series of organosulfur compounds with optical transitions in the visible region and that the binding of organosulfur ligands to the growing QD induces a preferential growth at the ⟨100⟩ faces (over the ⟨111⟩ faces) and, therefore, a hexapodal geometry for the particles. The study shows that S/ODE can be made a more reliable precursor by reducing the temperature and duration of the sulfur dissolution step and that any metal sulfide QD synthesis using elemental sulfur heated to high temperatures should take steps to reduce the in situ yield of organosulfur byproducts by avoiding olefinic solvents.

Latex–microgel core–satellite particles were prepared by electrostatic assembly of negatively charged polystyrene latex and positively charged microgels of a poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (pNIPMAM) and poly[2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (pMETAC) copolymer. The number of satellites per core, determined by scanning electron microscopy, varied from 3 to 10 depending on the sizes of the microgel and latex microparticles. The numbers of satellites per core for different size ratios were compared with the predictions for thermodynamically controlled (maximum packing) and kinetically controlled (random sequential adsorption) assembly, and it was shown that the assembly of latex and microgel proceeds through a random sequential adsorption mechanism. The charges of the microgels and latex particles were retained within the assemblies; therefore, the core–satellite particles have well-defined regions of positive and negative charge. These regions were used to direct the adsorption of gold and latex nanoparticles of opposite charge in order to create multicomponent colloids.Keywords: colloids; gold nanoparticles; patchy particles; random sequential adsorption; scanning electron microscopy;

This paper describes the use of visible, near-infrared, and mid-infrared steady-state optical spectroscopy to study the geometries in which tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) adsorbs to the surfaces of highly cadmium enriched and near-stoichiometric CdSe quantum dots (QDs) in the formation of QD-TCNQ charge transfer (CT) complexes. Several TCNQ molecules are spontaneously reduced by chalcogenides on the surface of each CdSe QD. The degree of CT depends on the geometry with which the TCNQ adsorbs and the degree of distortion of TCNQ’s geometry upon adsorption. Comparison of the electronic and vibrational spectra of CdSe QD-TCNQ complexes with those of CT complexes of TCNQ with molecular reductants (including molecular chalcogenides) and computer simulations of the geometries and vibrational spectra of the TCNQ-chalcogenide CT complexes show that (i) the Cd-enriched CdSe QDs reduce a factor of 7.4 more TCNQ molecules per QD than nearly stoichiometric CdSe QDs because surface selenides are more accessible in the Cd-enriched QDs than in the near-stoichiometric QDs and (ii) TCNQ interacts with surface selenides through several adsorption modes that result in different amounts of charge transfer and different degrees of geometric distortion of TCNQ. This study provides a framework for determining the range of adsorption geometries of small molecules on QD surfaces, and for optimizing QD surfaces to adsorb molecules in configurations with maximal electronic coupling between the QD and the adsorbate.

This paper describes the surface composition-dependent binding of the dichloride salt of methyl viologen (MV2+) to CdS quantum dots (QDs) enriched, to various degrees, with either Cd or S at the surface. The degree of enrichment is controlled synthetically and by postsynthetic dilution of the QDs in their solvent, THF. NMR shows the Cd-enriched QDs to contain a relatively dense (2.8 ligands/nm2) surface layer of oleic acid, in the form of Cd-oleate, and S-enriched QDs to contain relatively sparse (1.0 ligands/nm2) surface density of native ligands containing both oleic acid and octadecene. Electron transfer-mediated photoluminescence quenching of the QDs by MV2+ serves as a probe for the binding affinity of MV2+ for the surfaces of the QDs. Diluting Cd-enriched QDs removes Cd-oleate from the surface, exposing the stoichiometric CdS surface beneath and increasing the quenching efficiency of MV2+, whereas diluting S-enriched QD does not change their surface chemistry or the efficiency with which they are quenched by MV2+. The photoluminescence quenching data for all of the surface chemistries we studied fit well to a Langmuir model that accounts for binding of MV2+ through two reaction mechanisms: (i) direct adsorption of MV2+ to exposed stoichiometric CdS surfaces (with an equilibrium adsorption constant of 1.5 × 105 M–1), and (ii) adsorption of MV2+ to stoichiometric CdS surfaces upon displacement of weakly bound Cd-oleate complexes (with an equilibrium displacement constant of 3.5 × 103 M–1). Ab initio calculations of the binding energy for adsorption of the dichloride salt of MV2+ on Cd- and S-terminated surfaces reveal a substantial preference of MV2+ for S-terminated lattices due to alignment of the positively charged nitrogens on MV2+ with the negatively charged sulfur. These findings suggest a strategy to maximize the adsorption of redox-active molecules in electron transfer-active geometries through synthetic and postsynthetic manipulation of the inorganic surface.Keywords: 1H NMR; cadmium oleate complex; cadmium sulfide nanocrystal; electron transfer; enrichment; Langmuir isotherm; photoluminescence quenching

In order to achieve efficient and reliable technology that can harness solar energy, the behavior of electrons and energy at interfaces between different types or phases of materials must be understood. Conversion of light to chemical or electrical potential in condensed phase systems requires gradients in free energy that allow the movement of energy or charge carriers and facilitate redox reactions and dissociation of photoexcited states (excitons) into free charge carriers. Such free energy gradients are present at interfaces between solid and liquid phases or between inorganic and organic materials. Nanostructured materials have a higher density of these interfaces than bulk materials. Nanostructured materials, however, have a structural and chemical complexity that does not exist in bulk materials, which presents a difficult challenge: to lower or eliminate energy barriers to electron and energy flux that inevitably result from forcing different materials to meet in a spatial region of atomic dimensions.Chemical functionalization of nanostructured materials is perhaps the most versatile and powerful strategy for controlling the potential energy landscape of their interfaces and for minimizing losses in energy conversion efficiency due to interfacial structural and electronic defects. Colloidal quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals synthesized with wet-chemical methods and coated in organic molecules. Chemists can use these model systems to study the effects of chemical functionalization of nanoscale organic/inorganic interfaces on the optical and electronic properties of a nanostructured material, and the behavior of electrons and energy at interfaces. The optical and electronic properties of colloidal quantum dots have an intense sensitivity to their surface chemistry, and their organic adlayers make them dispersible in solvent. This allows researchers to use high signal-to-noise solution-phase spectroscopy to study processes at interfaces.In this Account, I describe the varied roles of organic molecules in controlling the structure and properties of colloidal quantum dots. Molecules serve as surfactant that determines the mechanism and rate of nucleation and growth and the final size and surface structure of a quantum dot. Anionic surfactant in the reaction mixture allows precise control over the size of the quantum dot core but also drives cation enrichment and structural disordering of the quantum dot surface. Molecules serve as chemisorbed ligands that dictate the energetic distribution of surface states. These states can then serve as thermodynamic traps for excitonic charge carriers or couple to delocalized states of the quantum dot core to change the confinement energy of excitonic carriers. Ligands, therefore, in some cases, dramatically shift the ground state absorption and photoluminescence spectra of quantum dots. Molecules also act as protective layers that determine the probability of redox processes between quantum dots and other molecules. How much the ligand shell insulates the quantum dot from electron exchange with a molecular redox partner depends less on the length or degree of conjugation of the native ligand and more on the density and packing structure of the adlayer and the size and adsorption mode of the molecular redox partner.Control of quantum dot properties in these examples demonstrates that nanoscale interfaces, while complex, can be rationally designed to enhance or specify the functionality of a nanostructured system.

This paper describes a method to control the quantum confinement, and therefore the energy, of excitonic holes in CdSe QDs through adsorption of the hole-delocalizing ligand phenyldithiocarbamate, PTC, and para substitutions of the phenyl ring of this ligand with electron-donating or -withdrawing groups. These substitutions control hole delocalization in the QDs through the energetic alignment of the highest occupied orbitals of PTC with the highest density-of-states region of the CdSe valence band, to which PTC couples selectively.

Two-dimensional diffusion ordered spectroscopy (2D DOSY) NMR was used to probe the micellar structure of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium cholate (SC) in aqueous solutions with and without semiconducting and metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The solutions contain SDS and SC at weight ratios of 1:4 and 3:2, the ratios commonly used to isolate semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs through density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU). These results show that the coverage of surfactant on the semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs is nearly identical in the 1:4 surfactant mixture, and a lower degree of bundling is responsible for the greater buoyancy of semiconducting SWCNTs. In the 3:2 surfactant mixture, the metallic SWCNTs are only encapsulated in SC while the semiconducting SWCNTs remain encapsulated in a poorly packed two-surfactant micelle, leading to a large buoyant density difference between the electronic species. This work provides insight into future directions to increase the purity of semiconducting and metallic SWCNTs sorted through DGU and demonstrates the utility of 2D DOSY NMR in probing SWCNT–surfactant complexes.

This paper describes an investigation of the interfacial chemistry that enables formation of a multielectron ground-state charge-transfer (CT) complex of oleate-coated PbS quantum dots (QDs) and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) in CHCl3 dispersions. Thermodynamically spontaneous electron transfer occurs from sulfur ions on the surfaces of the QDs (radius = 1.6 nm) to adsorbed TCNQ molecules and creates indefinitely stable ion pairs that are characterized by steady-state visible and mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy of reduced TCNQ and by NMR spectroscopy of the protons of oleate ligands that coat the QDs. The combination of these techniques shows that (i) each QD reduces an average of 4.5 TCNQ molecules, (ii) every electron transfer event between the QD and TCNQ occurs at the QD surface, (iii) sulfur ions on the surfaces of the QDs (and not delocalized states within the QDs) are the electron donors, and (iv) some TCNQ molecules adsorb directly to the surface of the QDs while others adsorb upon displacement of oleate ligands.

This paper describes the activation of a biologically inert Co(III) Schiff base [Co(III)-SB] complex to its protein inhibitor form by photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from a colloidal PbS quantum dot (QD, radii of 1.5–1.7 nm) to the cobalt center, with a charge separation time constant of 125 ns. Reduction of the Co(III)-SB complex initiates release of the native axial ligands, promoting replacement with the histidine mimic 4-methylimidazole. The rate of ligand displacement increases by a factor of approximately 8 upon exposure of the PbS QD/Co(III)-SB mixture to light with an energy greater than the energy of the first excitonic state of the QDs, from which PET occurs. These results suggest an approach for the preparation of inorganic therapeutic agents that can be specifically coupled to a biologically active site by cooperative redox binding ligation.

Photoinduced hole transfer from PbS quantum dots (QDs) to aminoferrocene only occurs if the ligand shell of the QD allows aminoferrocene to gain direct access to the inorganic core of the QD; the permeability of the ligand shell is therefore more important than its conductivity in determining the probability of interfacial charge transfer.

A combination of FT-IR, 1H NMR, nuclear Overhauser effect (NOESY), and diffusion-ordered (DOSY) NMR spectroscopies shows that samples of oleate-coated PbS quantum dots (QDs) with core radii ranging from 1.6 to 2.4 nm, and purified by washing with acetone, contain two species of oleate characterized by the stretching frequencies of their carboxylate groups, the chemical shifts of their protons, and their diffusion coefficients. One of these oleate species exists primarily on the surfaces of the QDs and either chelates a Pb2+ ion or bridges two Pb2+ ions. The ratio of bridging oleates to chelating oleates on the surfaces of the QDs is approximately 1:1 for all sizes of the QDs we studied. The second oleate species in these samples bridges two Pb2+ ions within clusters or oligomers of lead oleate (with a hydrodynamic radius of ∼1.4 nm), which are byproducts of the QD synthesis. The concentration of these clusters increases with increasing size of the QDs because larger QDs are produced by increasing the concentration of the oleic acid ligand in the reaction mixture. The oleate molecules on the surfaces of the QDs and within the lead oleate clusters are in rapid exchange with each other. Additional washes with methanol progressively eliminate the contaminating clusters from the PbS QD samples. This work quantitatively characterizes the distribution of binding geometries at the inorganic/organic interface of the nanocrystals and demonstrates the utility of using organic ligands as probes for the composition of a colloidal QD sample as a function of the preparation procedure.

This perspective describes the influence of interfacial charge transfer-type interactions on the optical spectra and hot electron cooling processes in plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs), and ongoing work to optimize these interactions for charge extraction from the plasmon or hot electron state. The manuscript focuses on interfaces of metal NPs with organic molecules and with semiconductors. Charge extraction from multi-electron excited states has applications in photodetection, sensing, and conversion of solar energy to electricity and fuels.

Transient absorption (TA) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) anisotropy measurements were used to investigate the polarization of band-edge and above-band-edge excitonic states in ensembles of CdSe nanocrystals with aspect ratios of 1:1, 3:1, and 10:1, dispersed in hexanes. The 1:1 nanocrystals (quantum dots) are isotropic absorbers and emitters. The 10:1 nanorods have a nonzero but featureless anisotropy spectrum above the band edge due to heterogeneity in the crystal structure and, therefore, electronic structure within single nanorods. The nanocrystals with an aspect ratio of 3:1, which are largely single crystals, have PLE and TA anisotropy spectra with features that correspond to those in the absorption spectrum. Direct measurement of the TA anisotropy spectrum of the nanorods and comparison with the PLE anisotropy spectrum reveal that the band-edge absorptive and emissive transitions contain both linear (z) and planar (xy) character. The degree of planar character at the band-edge states, modulated by classical local field effects arising from the dielectric contrast between the nanorod and the solvent, limits the degree of photoselection at this wavelength. The variation in the magnitude of the xy projection of the absorptive transitions within states above the band edge is responsible for the wavelength dependence of the absorption and emission anisotropies.

Transient absorption measurements on both the picosecond and microsecond time scales reveal that the efficiencies with which a series of alkyl-substituted p-benzoquinone (s-BQ) molecules participate in static and collisional photoinduced electron transfer (PET) with colloidal PbS quantum dots (QDs) in dichloromethane solution depend on both the size and shape of the s-BQ molecule. The efficiencies of both static and collisional PET are limited by the presence of the oleate ligand shell on the surface of the QDs and decrease with an increase in molecular volume, VQ, of the s-BQ, in general; however, the substitution patterns on the BQ ring that facilitate static PET are not the same patterns that facilitate collisional PET. A model for the dependence of the collisional quenching efficiency on VQ allows quantitative characterization of both the permeability and average thickness of the oleate ligand shell of the QDs in a dichloromethane solution.

This paper describes measurements of the dynamics of hot electron cooling in photoexcited gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with diameters of ∼3.5 nm, and passivated with either a hexadecylamine or hexadecanethiolate adlayer, using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. Fits of these dynamics with temperature-dependent Mie theory reveal that both the electronic heat capacity and the electron–phonon coupling constant are larger for the thiolated NPs than for the aminated NPs, by 40% and 30%, respectively. Density functional theory calculations on ligand-functionalized Au slabs show that the increase in these quantities is due to an increased electronic density of states near the Fermi level upon ligand exchange from amines to thiolates. The lifetime of hot electrons, which have thermalized from the initial plasmon excitation, increases with increasing electronic heat capacity, but decreases with increasing electron–phonon coupling, so the effects of changing surface chemistry on these two quantities partially cancel to yield a hot electron lifetime of thiolated NPs that is only 20% longer than that of aminated NPs. This analysis also reveals that incorporation of a temperature-dependent electron–phonon coupling constant is necessary to adequately fit the dynamics of electron cooling.

This article reviews the structural and electronic features of colloidal quantum dot (QD)–organic complexes that influence the rate of photoinduced charge separation (PCS) across the interface between the inorganic core of the QD and its organic surface ligands. While Marcus theory can be used to describe the rate of PCS in QD–organic complexes, uncertainties in the exact atomic configuration of the inorganic–organic interface and heterogeneities in this interfacial structure within an ensemble of QDs complicate the determination of the most fundamental Marcus parameters—electronic coupling, reorganization energy, and driving force. This article discusses strategies for accounting for uncertainties and heterogeneities when using Marcus theory to interpret rates of PCS in QD–organic complexes and highlights how measurement of PCS rates can provide information about the interfacial structure of the QD surface. Recent progress in the application of mechanistic knowledge of PCS to harvest multiple charge carriers from QDs containing multiple excitons and extend the lifetime of the charge-separated state is also discussed.

A combination of picosecond and microsecond transient absorption dynamics reveals the involvement of two mechanisms by which 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) induces the decay of the excited state of PbS quantum dots (QDs): (i) electron transfer to BQ molecules adsorbed to the surfaces of PbS QDs and (ii) collisionally gated electron transfer to freely diffusing BQ. Together, these two mechanisms quantitatively describe the quenching of photoluminescence upon addition of BQ to PbS QDs in dichloromethane solution. This work represents the first quantitative study of a QD–ligand system that undergoes both adsorbed and collisionally gated photoinduced charge transfer within the same sample. The availability of a collisionally gated pathway improves the yield of electron transfer from PbS QDs to BQ by an average factor of 2.5 over that for static electron transfer alone.

This article reports control of the competition between step-growth and living chain-growth polymerization mechanisms in the formation of cadmium chalcogenide colloidal quantum dots (QDs) from CdSe(S) clusters by varying the concentration of anionic surfactant in the synthetic reaction mixture. The growth of the particles proceeds by step-addition from initially nucleated clusters in the absence of excess phosphinic or carboxylic acids, which adsorb as their anionic conjugate bases, and proceeds indirectly by dissolution of clusters, and subsequent chain-addition of monomers to stable clusters (Ostwald ripening) in the presence of excess phosphinic or carboxylic acid. Fusion of clusters by step-growth polymerization is an explanation for the consistent observation of so-called “magic-sized” clusters in QD growth reactions. Living chain-addition (chain addition with no explicit termination step) produces QDs over a larger range of sizes with better size dispersity than step-addition. Tuning the molar ratio of surfactant to Se2–(S2–), the limiting ionic reagent, within the living chain-addition polymerization allows for stoichiometric control of QD radius without relying on reaction time.

Ultrafast transient absorption measurements reveal that the rate of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to oxo-centered triruthenium clusters (Ru3O) depends on the structure of the chemical headgroup by which the Ru3O clusters adsorb to the QDs. Complexes comprising QDs and Ru3O clusters adsorbed through a pyridine-4-carboxylic acid ligand (nic-Ru3O) have an intrinsic PET rate constant of (4.9 ± 0.9) × 109 s−1 whereas complexes comprising QDs and Ru3O clusters adsorbed through a 4-mercaptopyridine ligand (thiol-Ru3O) have an intrinsic PET rate constant of (36 ± 7) × 109 s−1. Cyclic voltammetry measurements of nic-Ru3O and thiol-Ru3O yield reduction potentials vs. Ag/AgCl of −0.93 V for both clusters, and density functional theory calculations of the nic-Ru3O and thiol-Ru3O clusters yield internal reorganization energies for the cluster radical anion of −0.17 eV and −0.19 eV, respectively. The small differences in driving force and reorganization energy between the two complexes rule out these parameters as possible explanations for the factor-of-seven difference in the rate constants for PET. The difference in the observed rates of PET for the two complexes is therefore attributable to a difference in donor–acceptor electronic coupling, which, according to electronic structure calculations, is modulated by the torsional angle between the Ru3O core of the cluster and the functionalized pyridine ligand that bridges the cluster to the QD surface.

This paper describes the use of the spectral signatures of near-infrared (NIR) absorbing cyanine dyes to quantitatively analyze their intermolecular interactions upon adsorption to colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) with diameters of 2–3 nm. Spectroscopic characterization of the disaggregation of two types of sulfonate-functionalized cyanine molecules, IR783 and IR820, from H-aggregate dimers to monomers upon addition of methanol yields spectral signatures of aggregation used to analyze the response of the dyes to exposure to CdSe QDs. The spectrally distinct absorbances of the cyanines and QDs enable a factor analysis procedure that decomposes the absorbance spectrum of the QD/cyanine mixture into three distinct components—solution-phase cyanine molecules (in monomer and H-aggregate form), QD-bound cyanine monomers, and disordered, QD-bound cyanine aggregates—as a function of the molar ratio of cyanine to QD. The presence of these three distinct components strongly suggests that cyanines initially bind to QDs as either disordered aggregates (for small molar ratios of QD:cyanine) or as monomers (for large molar ratios of QD:cyanine). Quantitative analysis of the adsorption motifs of cyanine dyes on nanocrystalline semiconductors is a first step in understanding the influence of binding geometry on the rate and mechanism of charge transfer across the organic–inorganic interface within cyanine-sensitized photoconversion materials.

A study of the adsorption equilibrium of solution-phase CdS quantum dots (QDs) and acid-derivatized viologen ligands (N-[1-heptyl],N′-[3-carboxypropyl]-4,4′-bipyridinium dihexafluorophosphate, V2+) reveals that the structure of the surfaces of the QDs depends on their concentration. This adsorption equilibrium is monitored through quenching of the photoluminescence of the QDs by V2+ upon photoinduced electron transfer. When modeled with a simple Langmuir isotherm, the equilibrium constant for QD–V2+ adsorption, Ka, increases from 6.7 × 105 to 8.6 × 106 M–1 upon decreasing the absolute concentration of the QDs from 1.4 × 10–6 to 5.1 × 10–8 M. The apparent increase in Ka upon dilution results from an increase in the mean number of available adsorption sites per QD from 1.1 (for [QD] = 1.4 × 10–6 M) to 37 (for [QD] = 5.1 × 10–8 M) through desorption of native ligands from the surfaces of the QDs and through disaggregation of soluble QD clusters. A new model based on the Langmuir isotherm that treats both the number of adsorbed ligands per QD and the number of available binding sites per QD as binomially distributed quantities is described. This model yields a concentration-independent value for Ka of 8.7 × 105 M–1 for the QD–V2+ system and provides a convenient means for quantitative analysis of QD–ligand adsorption in the presence of competing surface processes.Keywords: binomial distribution; equilibrium constant; ligand adsorption; photoluminescence; quantum dot

This Perspective discusses recent work on mechanisms by which organic ligands affect the electronic structure and exciton dynamics of colloidal quantum dots (QDs). Much of the work described here uses some combination of steady-state absorption, transient absorption, steady-state photoluminescence, and transient photoluminescence spectroscopies to characterize QD–ligand complexes. Ligands affect the ground-state electronic structure of QDs via mixing of the frontier orbitals at the QD–ligand interface and influence the dynamics of excitonic decay by mediating charge trapping or by participating in charge transfer. This Perspective highlights strategies to address the various forms of structural and chemical heterogeneity of QD ensembles in identifying the mechanisms of these ligand-mediated processes. Finally, four-wave mixing techniques are discussed as promising methods for direct measurement of ligand-mediated nonradiative dissipation of the QD exciton.

Ultrafast transient absorption measurements reveal that the rate constant for photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from colloidal CdS quantum dots (QDs) to alkylcarboxylate-functionalized viologens is independent of the number of methylene groups in the alkyl chain (n). The rate constant for PET is (1.2 ± 0.3) × 1010 s–1 for n = 1, 2, and 3, and for n = 0 (methylviologen). The insensitivity of the electron transfer rate constant to the length of the functional groups on the viologen suggests that a “through-space” pathway, where the electron bypasses the alkylcarboxylate and tunnels instead through only the orbitals of the QD and of the bipyridinium core, is the dominant PET pathway.Keywords: adsorption geometry; electron tunneling; electronic coupling; nanocrystal; transient absorption;

This paper describes unprecedented bathochromic shifts (up to 970 meV) of the optical band gaps of CdS, CdSe, and PbS quantum dots (QDs) upon adsorption of an organic ligand, phenyldithiocarbamate (PTC), and the use of PTC to map the quantum confinement of specific charge carriers within the QDs as a function of their radius. For a given QD material and physical radius, R, the magnitude of the increase in apparent excitonic radius (ΔR) upon delocalization by PTC directly reflects the degree of quantum confinement of one or both charge carriers. The plots of ΔR vs R for CdSe and CdS show that exciton delocalization by PTC occurs specifically through the excitonic hole. Furthermore, the plot for CdSe, which spans a range of R over multiple confinement regimes for the hole, identifies the radius (R ∼ 1.9 nm) at which the hole transitions between regimes of strong and intermediate confinement. This demonstration of ligand-induced delocalization of a specific charge carrier is a first step toward eliminating current-limiting resistive interfaces at organic–inorganic junctions within solid-state hybrid devices. Facilitating carrier-specific electronic coupling across heterogeneous interfaces is especially important for nanostructured devices, which comprise a high density of such interfaces.

This Article reports measurements of the intra- and intermolecular ordering of tight-binding octylphosphonate ligands on the surface of colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) within solid state films, and the dependence of this order on the size of the QDs. The order of the organic ligands, as probed by vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, decreases as the radius of the QDs decreases; this decrease is correlated with a decrease in the order of underlying Cd2+, as detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) line width measurements, for radii of the QDs, R > 2.4 nm, and is independent of the disorder of the Cd2+ for R < 2.4 nm. We believe that, for R < 2.4, the decreasing order of the ligands with decreasing size is due to an increase in the curvature of the QD surfaces. Disorder in the Cd2+ results from the presence of a shell of Cd2+–surfactant complexes that form during synthesis, so this work demonstrates the possibility for chemical control over molecular order within films of colloidal QDs by changing the surfactant mixture.

Transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy of solution-phase mixtures of colloidal CdS quantum dots (QDs) with acid-derivatized viologen molecules, N-[1-heptyl],N′-[3-carboxypropyl]-4,4′-bipyridinium dihexafluorophosphate (V2+), indicates electron transfer occurs from the conduction band of the QD to the LUMO of V2+ after photoexcitation of a band-edge exciton in the QD. Analysis of the magnitude of the ground state bleach of the QD as a function of the molar ratio QD:V2+ yields the QD–ligand adsorption constant, Ka (4.4 × 104 M–1) for V2+ ligands adsorbed in geometries conducive to electron transfer. The value of Ka, together with the measured rates of (i) formation of the V+• electron transfer product and (ii) recovery of the ground state bleach of the QD, enables determination of the intrinsic rate constant for charge separation, kCS,int ∼ 1.7 × 1010 s–1, the rate for a single QD–V2+ donor–acceptor pair. This analysis confirms previous reports that the number of ligands adsorbed to each QD is well-described by a Poisson distribution. This is the first report where the QD–ligand charge transfer and binding equilibria are quantitatively investigated simultaneously with a single technique.

This paper describes the use of a diarylethylene (DAE) ligand, which adopts structures that are sensitive to the wavelength of light, to cross-link films of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) within electrical junctions with photoswitchable conductivity. These QD-DAE films are deposited on indium-tin-oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (ITO/PEDOT:PSS) electrodes and have eutectic Ga-In top-contacts. The photocurrent density of the cross-linked QD films is enhanced by a factor of 6.5 (averaged over all applied voltages) when the DAE ligand is switched from its open, non-conductive form (by illumination with 500–650 nm light) to its closed, conductive form (by illumination with 300–400 nm light). This enhancement is accomplished by changing the inter-particle electronic coupling, not the inter-particle distance. Identical QD films cross-linked with dibenzenedithiol ligands have a photoconductivity that is insensitive to the wavelength of light.

This paper describes a study of the mechanism of photoinduced photoluminescence enhancement, termed “photobrightening” (PB), of ∼150-nm-thick films of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) in a dry N2 (g) atmosphere. Steady-state photoluminescence (PL) and ultrafast transient absorption measurements of films photoexcited continuously and shot-wise revealed that: (i) PL enhancement occurred in all of the close-packed films during periods of continuous photoexcitation and continued after the excitation source was turned off; (ii) the time-dependence of PB (both during excitation and in the dark) was initially linear and became exponential as the PB reached saturation; (iii) the rate of PB and the maximum PB achieved by the film depended on the degree of surface passivation of the QDs; (iv) the PL peak shifted to lower energy and broadened during PB; and (v) rates of nonradiative trapping of excitonic electrons decreased during PB. These data were utilized to construct a model for PB based on migration of photoexcited electrons within the film. The basis for this model is that PB is limited by the rate of migration of electrons among surface-localized energetically shallow traps in the film, and not by the rate of creation of surface-trapped charge carriers. The migration mechanism provides a rationalization for the seemingly contradictory reports that charging of QD surfaces causes PB in ensembles of QDs but causes photodarkening and blinking in single QDs.

A combination of transient absorption (TA) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopies performed on solution-phase samples of colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) allows the construction of a time-resolved, charge carrier-resolved map of decay from the first excitonic state of the QD. Data from TA and TRPL yield the same six exponential components, with time constants ranging from ∼1 ps to 50 ns, for excitonic decay. Comparison of TA signals in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral regions enables determination of the relative contributions of electron and hole dynamics to each decay component, and comparison of TA and TRPL reveals that each component represents a competition between radiative and nonradiative decay pathways. In total, these data suggest that the QD sample comprises at least three distinct populations that differ in both the radiative and nonradiative decay pathways available to the excitonic charge carriers, and provide evidence for multiple emissive excitonic states in which the hole is not in the valence band, but rather a relaxed or trapped state.Keywords: charge carrier trapping; photoluminescence upconversion; quantum dot; radiative recombination; time-correlated single photon counting; transient absorption

This paper describes a study of the rates of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to poly(viologen) within thin films, as a function of the length of the ligands passivating the QDs. Ultrafast (<10 ps), quantitative PET occurs from CdSe QDs coated with HS-(CH2)n-COOH for n = 1, 2, 5, and 7 to viologen units. The observed decrease in the magnitude of the PET rate constant with n is weaker than that expected from the decay of the electron tunneling probability across extended all-trans mercaptocarboxylic acids but well-described by electron tunneling across a collapsed ligand shell. The PET rate constants for films with n = 10 and 15 are much slower than those expected based on the trend for n = 1–7; this deviation is ascribed to the formation of bundles of ligands on the surface of the QD that make the tunneling process prohibitively slow by limiting access of the viologen units to the surfaces of the QDs. This study highlights the importance of molecular-level morphology of donor and acceptor materials in determining the rate and yield of interfacial photoinduced electron transfer in thin films.Keywords: CdSe quantum dot; intermolecular structure; layer-by-layer deposition; photoinduced electron transfer; poly(viologen); transient absorption

Coordination of phenyldithiocarbamate (PTC) ligands to solution-phase colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) decreases the optical band gap, Eg, of the QDs by up to 220 meV. These values of ΔEg are the largest shifts achieved by chemical modification of the surfaces of solution-phase CdSe QDs and are—by more than an order of magnitude in energy—the largest bathochromic shifts achieved for QDs in either the solution or solid phases. Measured values of ΔEg upon coordination to PTC correspond to an apparent increase in the excitonic radius of 0.26 ± 0.03 nm; this excitonic delocalization is independent of the size of the QD for radii, R = 1.1−1.9 nm. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the highest occupied molecular orbital of PTC is near resonant with that of the QD, and that the two have correct symmetry to exchange electron density (PTC is a π-donor, and the photoexcited QD is a π-acceptor). We therefore propose that the relaxation of exciton confinement occurs through delocalization of the photoexcited hole of the QD into the ligand shell.Keywords: bathochromic shift; CdSe quantum dot; dithiocarbamate; ligand exchange; quantum confinement

The ratio of Cd to Se (Cd/Se) within colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) synthesized with 90% trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as the coordinating solvent increases from 1.2:1 for QDs with radius R ≥ 3.3 nm to 6.5:1 for R = 1.9 nm, as measured by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The highest value of Cd/Se reported previously for CdSe QDs was 1.8:1. The dependence of Cd/Se on R fits a geometric model that describes the QDs as CdSe cores with Cd/Se = 1:1 encapsulated by a shell of Cd−organic complexes. Use of 99% TOPO as the coordinating solvent produces QDs with Cd/Se ≈ 1:1 for all values of R, and use of 99% TOPO “doped” with n-octylphosphonic acid (OPA), an impurity in 90% TOPO, produces QDs with values of Cd/Se up to 1.5:1. These results imply that Cd enrichment of the QDs is driven by tight-binding Cd2+−alkylphosphonate complexes that stabilize the interface between the polar CdSe core and the organic medium.Keywords (keywords): alkylphosphonate; cadmium enrichment; Cd/Se ratio; CdSe quantum dots; elemental analysis; interfacial free energy;

This paper describes a quantitative analysis of the chemical composition of organic/inorganic interfaces of colloidal 3.1-nm CdSe quantum dots (QDs) synthesized with trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as the coordinating solvent and purified by successive precipitations from a chloroform/methanol solvent/nonsolvent system. A combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, and NMR (both 1H and 31P) reveals that the only ligands that form a stable population on the surface of the QDs are X-type alkylphosphonate and carboxylate ligands. n-Octylphosphonate (OPA), a known impurity in technical-grade (90%) TOPO, and P′-P′-(di-n-octyl) pyrophosphonate (PPA), the self-condensation product of OPA, cover ∼84% of the atoms on the surface of the QDs, whereas few of the L-type (datively bound) ligands hexadecylamine (HDA), TOPO, and trioctylphosphine selenide (TOPSe) are present as bound ligands once the excess free surfactant is removed from the reaction mixture. Purified QDs synthesized in 99% TOPO (with no alkylphosphonates present) have no phosphorus-containing ligands on the surface. Despite the approximately constant surface coverage of phosphorus-containing ligands, the photoluminescence quantum yield of the solution of QDs steadily decreases during purification from ∼15% to less than 1%. Proton NMR analysis of the QD samples and photoluminescence spectra of QDs exposed to various concentrations of methanol suggest that this decrease is due to a combination of progressive loss of small amounts of HDA and adsorption of methanol to the surface of the QDs during purification.

This manuscript describes a global regression analysis of near-infrared (NIR, 900−1300 nm) transient absorptions (TA) of colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) photoexcited to their first (1Se1S3/2) excitonic state. Near-IR TA spectroscopy facilitates charge carrier-resolved analysis of excitonic decay of QDs because signals in the NIR are due exclusively to absorptions of photoexcited electrons and holes, as probe energies in this region are not high enough to induce absorptions across the optical bandgap that crowd the visible TA spectra. The response of each observed component of the excitonic decay to the presence of a hole-trapping ligand (1-octanethiol) and an electron-accepting ligand (1,4-benzoquinone), and comparison of time constants to those for recovery of the ground state bleaching feature in the visible TA spectrum, allow for the assignment of the components to (i) a 1.6 ps hole trapping process, (ii) 19 ps and 274 ps surface-mediated electron trapping processes, and (iii) a ∼5 ns recombination of untrapped electrons.

This paper describes the use of 1H NMR spectroscopy to measure the equilibrium constants for the solution-phase binding of two para-substituted aniline molecules (R-An), p-methoxyaniline (MeO-An) and p-bromoaniline (Br-An), to colloidal 4.1 nm CdSe quantum dots (QDs). Changes in the chemical shifts of the aromatic protons located ortho to the amine group on R-An were used to construct a binding isotherm for each R-An/QD system. These isotherms fit to a Langmuir function to yield Ka, the equilibrium constant for binding of the R-An ligands to the QDs; Ka ≈ 150 M−1 and ΔGads ≈ −19 kJ/mol for both R = MeO and R = Br. 31P NMR indicates that the native octylphosphonate ligands, which, by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, cover 90% of the QD surface, are not displaced upon binding of R-An. The MeO-An ligand quenches the photoluminescence of the QDs at much lower concentrations than does Br-An; the observation, therefore, that Ka,MeO-An ≈ Ka,Br-An shows that this difference in quenching efficiencies is due solely to differences in the nature of the electronic interactions of the bound R-An with the excitonic state of the QD.

Ultrafast transient absorption measurements reveal that the rate of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from colloidal CdSe quantum dots (QDs) to oxo-centered triruthenium clusters (Ru3O) depends on the structure of the chemical headgroup by which the Ru3O clusters adsorb to the QDs. Complexes comprising QDs and Ru3O clusters adsorbed through a pyridine-4-carboxylic acid ligand (nic-Ru3O) have an intrinsic PET rate constant of (4.9 ± 0.9) × 109 s−1 whereas complexes comprising QDs and Ru3O clusters adsorbed through a 4-mercaptopyridine ligand (thiol-Ru3O) have an intrinsic PET rate constant of (36 ± 7) × 109 s−1. Cyclic voltammetry measurements of nic-Ru3O and thiol-Ru3O yield reduction potentials vs. Ag/AgCl of −0.93 V for both clusters, and density functional theory calculations of the nic-Ru3O and thiol-Ru3O clusters yield internal reorganization energies for the cluster radical anion of −0.17 eV and −0.19 eV, respectively. The small differences in driving force and reorganization energy between the two complexes rule out these parameters as possible explanations for the factor-of-seven difference in the rate constants for PET. The difference in the observed rates of PET for the two complexes is therefore attributable to a difference in donor–acceptor electronic coupling, which, according to electronic structure calculations, is modulated by the torsional angle between the Ru3O core of the cluster and the functionalized pyridine ligand that bridges the cluster to the QD surface.

This perspective describes the influence of interfacial charge transfer-type interactions on the optical spectra and hot electron cooling processes in plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs), and ongoing work to optimize these interactions for charge extraction from the plasmon or hot electron state. The manuscript focuses on interfaces of metal NPs with organic molecules and with semiconductors. Charge extraction from multi-electron excited states has applications in photodetection, sensing, and conversion of solar energy to electricity and fuels.

This paper describes the use of a diarylethylene (DAE) ligand, which adopts structures that are sensitive to the wavelength of light, to cross-link films of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) within electrical junctions with photoswitchable conductivity. These QD-DAE films are deposited on indium-tin-oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (ITO/PEDOT:PSS) electrodes and have eutectic Ga-In top-contacts. The photocurrent density of the cross-linked QD films is enhanced by a factor of 6.5 (averaged over all applied voltages) when the DAE ligand is switched from its open, non-conductive form (by illumination with 500–650 nm light) to its closed, conductive form (by illumination with 300–400 nm light). This enhancement is accomplished by changing the inter-particle electronic coupling, not the inter-particle distance. Identical QD films cross-linked with dibenzenedithiol ligands have a photoconductivity that is insensitive to the wavelength of light.

Photoinduced hole transfer from PbS quantum dots (QDs) to aminoferrocene only occurs if the ligand shell of the QD allows aminoferrocene to gain direct access to the inorganic core of the QD; the permeability of the ligand shell is therefore more important than its conductivity in determining the probability of interfacial charge transfer.

Reversible coupling of glutathione-capped PbS quantum dots through coordination with Zn2+ cations forms water-soluble aggregates. These assemblies mediate multi-step hopping of near-infrared excitons through unity-quantum yield Förster resonance energy transfer. The photoluminescence spectra from these samples are sensitive indicators of average interparticle distance.