Evaporation-induced assembly of quantum dots into nanorings

Jixin Chen, Wei Ssu Liao, Xin Chen, Tingiu Yang, Stacey E. Wark, Dong Hee Son, James D. Batteas, Paul S. Cremer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

159 Scopus citations

Abstract

Herein, we demonstrate the controlled formation of two-dimensional periodic arrays of ring-shaped nanostructures assembled from CdSe semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). The patterns were fabricated by using an evaporative templating method. This involves the introduction of an aqueous solution containing both quantum dots and polystyrene microspheres onto the surface of a planar hydrophilic glass substrate. The quantum dots became confined to the meniscus of the microspheres during evaporation, which drove ring assembly via capillary forces at the polystyrene sphere/glass substrate interface. The geometric parameters for nanoring formation could be controlled by tuning the size of the microspheres and the concentration of the QDs employed. This allowed hexagonal arrays of nanorings to be formed with thicknesses ranging from single dot necklaces to thick multilayer structures over surface areas of many square millimeters. Moreover, the diameter of the ring structures could be simultaneously controlled. A simple model was employed to explain the forces involved in the formation of nanoparticle nanorings.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)173-180
Number of pages8
JournalACS nano
Volume3
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2009

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Materials Science
  • General Engineering
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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