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Full-Text Articles in Physics
Advanced Thermoluminescence Spectroscopy As A Research Tool For Semiconductor And Photonic Materials: A Review And Perspective, Farida Selim
Advanced Thermoluminescence Spectroscopy As A Research Tool For Semiconductor And Photonic Materials: A Review And Perspective, Farida Selim
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Thermoluminescence (TL) or thermally stimulated luminescence (TSL) spectroscopy is based on liberating charge carriers from traps in the bandgap by providing enough thermal energy to overcome the potential barrier of the traps. It provides a powerful tool to measure the positions of the localized states/traps in the bandgap. Despite that, its applications in semiconductors are very limited. Herein, the basics of TL spectroscopy and the recent advances in the technique with focus on cryogenic thermally stimulated photoemission spectroscopy (C-TSPS) which extends TL measurements to cryogenic regime and allows the detection of very low concentrations of shallow and deep localized states …
Boost The Lead Conversion Efficiency For The Synthesis Of Colloidal 2d Pbs Nanosheets, Tharaka Mds Weeraddana, Adam Roach, Shashini M. Premathilaka, Yiteng Tang, Jordan Fox, Liangfeng Sun
Boost The Lead Conversion Efficiency For The Synthesis Of Colloidal 2d Pbs Nanosheets, Tharaka Mds Weeraddana, Adam Roach, Shashini M. Premathilaka, Yiteng Tang, Jordan Fox, Liangfeng Sun
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
In the synthesis of colloidal PbS nanosheets, the supernatant of the reaction solution is reused to boost the lead conversion efficiency. It doubles the conversion efficiency of the lead precursors to the PbS nanosheets. The nanosheets synthesized by reusing the supernatant have similar morphology, nearly identical thickness, and optical properties as the original ones, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. This method reduces the toxic Pb-containing waste during the synthesis, a step toward the green and scalable synthesis of colloidal 2D PbS nanosheets.
Revealing Interaction Of Organic Adsorbates With Semiconductor Surfaces Using Chemically Enhanced Raman, Andrew K. Kuhlman, Alexey T. Zayak
Revealing Interaction Of Organic Adsorbates With Semiconductor Surfaces Using Chemically Enhanced Raman, Andrew K. Kuhlman, Alexey T. Zayak
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is frequently associated with "chemical enhancement" (CE), which is an effect of the chemical coupling between reporting molecules and surfaces. While SERS technique is mainly attributed to the studies of metallic surfaces, chemical coupling must be present on semiconductor surfaces as well. Here, we examine binding of trans-1,2-two(4-pyridyl) ethylene (BPE) to various crystallographic facets of PbSe semiconductor. The calculated off-resonant Raman spectra vary significantly on different crystallographic facets of PbSe, correlating with the electronic structure of each type of semiconductor surface. We distinguish situations when the charge transfer is present and when it is not, …
Suppressed Carrier Scattering In Cds-Encapsulated Pbs Nanocrystal Films, Pavel Moroz, Natalia Kholmicheva, Bryan Mellott, Geethika Liyanage, Upendra Rijal, Ebin Bastola, Kyla Huband, Elena Khon, Keith Mcbride, Mikhail Zamkov
Suppressed Carrier Scattering In Cds-Encapsulated Pbs Nanocrystal Films, Pavel Moroz, Natalia Kholmicheva, Bryan Mellott, Geethika Liyanage, Upendra Rijal, Ebin Bastola, Kyla Huband, Elena Khon, Keith Mcbride, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
One of the key challenges facing the realization of functional nanocrystal devices concerns the development of techniques for depositing colloidal nanocrystals into electrically coupled nanoparticle solids. This work compares several alternative strategies for the assembly of such films using an all-optical approach to the characterization of electron transport phenomena. By measuring excited carrier lifetimes in either ligand-linked or matrix-encapsulated PbS nanocrystal films containing a tunable fraction of insulating ZnS domains, we uniquely distinguish the dynamics of charge scattering on defects from other processes of exciton dissociation. The measured times are subsequently used to estimate the diffusion length and the carrier …
Improving The Catalytic Activity Of Semiconductor Nanocrystals Through Selective Domain Etching, Elena Khon, Kelly Lambright, Rony S. Khnayzer, Pavel Moroz, Dimuthu Perera, Evgeniia Butaeva, Scott Lambright, Felix N. Castellano, Mikhail Zamkov
Improving The Catalytic Activity Of Semiconductor Nanocrystals Through Selective Domain Etching, Elena Khon, Kelly Lambright, Rony S. Khnayzer, Pavel Moroz, Dimuthu Perera, Evgeniia Butaeva, Scott Lambright, Felix N. Castellano, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Colloidal chemistry offers an assortment of synthetic tools for tuning the shape of semiconductor nanocrystals. While many nanocrystal architectures can be obtained directly via colloidal growth, other nanoparticle morphologies require alternative processing strategies. Here, we show that chemical etching of colloidal nanoparticles can facilitate the realization of nanocrystal shapes that are topologically inaccessible by hot-injection techniques alone. The present methodology is demonstrated by synthesizing a two-component CdSe/CdS nanoparticle dimer, constructed in a way that both CdSe and CdS semiconductor domains are exposed to the external environment. This structural morphology is highly desirable for catalytic applications as it enables both reductive …
Photocatalytic Activity Of Core/Shell Semiconductor Nanocrystals Featuring Spatial Separation Of Charges, Dimuthu Perera, Ryan Lorek, Rony S. Khnayzer, Pavel Moroz, Timothy O’Connor, Dmitry Khon, Geoffrey Diederich, Erich Kinder, Scott Lambright, Felix N. Castellano, Mikhail Zamkov
Photocatalytic Activity Of Core/Shell Semiconductor Nanocrystals Featuring Spatial Separation Of Charges, Dimuthu Perera, Ryan Lorek, Rony S. Khnayzer, Pavel Moroz, Timothy O’Connor, Dmitry Khon, Geoffrey Diederich, Erich Kinder, Scott Lambright, Felix N. Castellano, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The present study investigates the photocatalytic activity of ZnSe/CdS core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals. These nanoparticles exhibit a spatial separation of photoinduced charges between the core and the shell domains, which makes them potentially viable for photocatalytic applications. Unfortunately, one of the excited charges remains inside the core semiconductor and thus cannot efficiently react with the external environment. Here, we explore this issue by investigating the mechanisms of hole extraction from the ZnSe core to the surface of the CdS shell. In particular, the effect of shell thickness in ZnSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals on the ability of core-localized charges to perform oxidative reactions …
Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production At Titania-Supported Pt Nanoclusters That Are Derived From Surface-Anchored Molecular Precursors, Rony S. Khnayzer, Lucas B. Thompson, Mikhail Zamkov, Shane Ardo, Gerald J. Meyer, Catherine J. Murphy, Felix N. Castellano
Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production At Titania-Supported Pt Nanoclusters That Are Derived From Surface-Anchored Molecular Precursors, Rony S. Khnayzer, Lucas B. Thompson, Mikhail Zamkov, Shane Ardo, Gerald J. Meyer, Catherine J. Murphy, Felix N. Castellano
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Degussa P-25 TiO2 bearing surface-anchored Pt(dcbpy)Cl-2 [dcbpy = 4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine] prepared with systematically varied surface coverage produced Pt-0 nanoparticles under bandgap illumination in the presence of methanol hole scavengers. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of elemental platinum in the newly formed nanoparticles during scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) eleriments. According to the statistical analysis of numerous STEM images, the Pt-0 nanoclusters were distributed in a segregated manner throughout the titania surface, ranging in size from 1 to 3 nm in diameter. The final achieved nanoparticle size and net hydrogen production were determined as a function of the Pt(dcbpy)Cl-2 surface …
Fabrication Of All-Inorganic Nanocrystal Solids Through Matrix Encapsulation Of Nanocrystal Arrays, Erich Kinder, Pavel Moroz, Geoffrey Diederich, Alexa Johnson, Maria Kirsanova, Alexander Nemchinov, Timothy O’Connor, Dan Roth, Mikhail Zamkov
Fabrication Of All-Inorganic Nanocrystal Solids Through Matrix Encapsulation Of Nanocrystal Arrays, Erich Kinder, Pavel Moroz, Geoffrey Diederich, Alexa Johnson, Maria Kirsanova, Alexander Nemchinov, Timothy O’Connor, Dan Roth, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
A general strategy for low-temperature processing of colloidal nanocrystals into all-inorganic films is reported. The present methodology goes beyond the traditional ligand-interlinking scheme and relies on encapsulation of morphologically defined nanocrystal arrays into a matrix of a wide-band gap semiconductor, which preserves optoelectronic properties of individual nanoparticles while rendering the nanocrystal film photoconductive. Fabricated solids exhibit excellent thermal stability, which is attributed to the heteroepitaxial structure of nanocrystal matrix interfaces, and show compelling light-harvesting performance in prototype solar cells.
The Role Of Hole Localization In Sacrificial Hydrogen Production By Semiconductor-Metal Heterostructured Nanocrystals, Krishna P. Acharya, Rony S. Khnayzer, Timothy O’Connor, Geoffrey Diederich, Maria Kirsanova, Anna Klinkova, Daniel Roth, Erich Kinder, Martene Imboden, Mikhail Zamkov
The Role Of Hole Localization In Sacrificial Hydrogen Production By Semiconductor-Metal Heterostructured Nanocrystals, Krishna P. Acharya, Rony S. Khnayzer, Timothy O’Connor, Geoffrey Diederich, Maria Kirsanova, Anna Klinkova, Daniel Roth, Erich Kinder, Martene Imboden, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The effect of hole localization on photocatalytic activity of Pt-tipped semiconductor nanocrystals is investigated. By tuning the energy balance at the semiconductor-ligand interface, we demonstrate that hydrogen production on Pt sites is efficient only when electron-donating molecules are used for stabilizing semiconductor surfaces. These surfactants play an important role in enabling an efficient and stable reduction of water by heterostructured nanocrystals as they fill vacancies in the valence band of the semiconductor domain, preventing its degradation. In particular, we show that the energy of oxidizing holes can be efficiently transferred to a ligand moiety, leaving the semiconductor domain intact. This …
Tuning The Morphology Of Au/Cds Nanocomposites Through Temperature-Controlled Reduction Of Gold-Oleate Complexes, Elena Khon, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Ian Nemitz, Krishna Acharya, Mikhail Zamkov
Tuning The Morphology Of Au/Cds Nanocomposites Through Temperature-Controlled Reduction Of Gold-Oleate Complexes, Elena Khon, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Ian Nemitz, Krishna Acharya, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
A general synthetic strategy for controlling the shape of gold domains grown onto CdS semiconductor nanocrystals is presented. The colloidal growth of Au nanoparticles is based on the temperature-controlled reduction of Au-oleate complexes on the surface of CdS and allows for precise tuning of nanoparticle diameters from 2.5 to 16 nm simply by adjusting the temperature of the growth solution, whereas the shape of Au/CdS nanocomposites can be controllably switched between matchsticks and barbells via the reaction rate. Depending on the exact morphology of Au and CdS domains, fabricated nanocomposites can undergo evaporation-induced self-assembly on a substrate either through end-to-end …
Linker-Free Modification Of Tio2 Nanorods With Pbse Nanocrystals, Krishna P. Acharya, Taiwo R. Alabi, Nicholas Schmall, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Maria Kirsanova, Alexander Nemchinov, Elena Khon, Mikhail Zamkov
Linker-Free Modification Of Tio2 Nanorods With Pbse Nanocrystals, Krishna P. Acharya, Taiwo R. Alabi, Nicholas Schmall, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Maria Kirsanova, Alexander Nemchinov, Elena Khon, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We report on a colloidal synthesis of Pbse/TiO2 heterostructures, comprising small-diameter PbSe nanocrystals epitaxially grown onto the surface of TiO2 nanorods. The deposition of lead selenide onto prefabricated TiO2 nanocrystals proceeds via formation of a thin PbSe shell that subsequently breaks into sub-2-nm islands. Additional precursor injections are then used to increase the size of PbSe nanocrystals up to 5 nm. In the case of small-size PbSe, a 2.1-ns transfer of photoinduced carriers into TiO2 domain was evidenced through quenching of the PbSe band gap emission. Overall, the present synthesis demonstrates a colloidal approach to all-inorganic modification of TiO2 surfaces …
Synthesis Of Znse/Cds/Znse Nanobarbells Showing Photoinduced Charge Separation, Maria Kirsanova, Alexander Nemchinov, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Nicholas Schmall, Mikhail Zamkov
Synthesis Of Znse/Cds/Znse Nanobarbells Showing Photoinduced Charge Separation, Maria Kirsanova, Alexander Nemchinov, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Nicholas Schmall, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We report on it colloidal synthesis of barbell-shaped nanocrystals comprising a type II hetero-junction of ZnSe and US domains and showing compelling evidence of photoinduced charge separation at the interface of ZnSe and US materials. The nanobarbells were fabricated in a two-step procedure by growing ZnSe caps onto polar facets of US nanorods. Under present synthetic conditions, minimal growth of ZnSe shell in the lateral direction and focusing of the barbell length distribution were observed. Formation of epitaxial interfaces between nearly lattice-matched ZnSe and US crystal phases was primarily evidenced by the observation of "spatially indirect" fluorescence and long radiative …
Blue-Shifted Emission In Cdte/Znse Heterostructured Nanocrystals, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Nilanka P. Gurusinghe, Mikhail Zamkov
Blue-Shifted Emission In Cdte/Znse Heterostructured Nanocrystals, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Nilanka P. Gurusinghe, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Properties of colloidal heterostructured nanocrystals are largely determined by the spatial distribution of photogenerated carriers across the junction of semiconductor materials that form the heterostructure. The two known types of carrier distributions are identified based on whether both carriers reside within the same (type I) or opposite (type II) sides of the heterojunction. Here we demonstrate the existence of another type of spatial carrier distribution in heteronanocrystals, which corresponds to the localization of both charges along the material junction. Such localization. pattern was realized in novel CdTe/ZnSe heteronanocrystals, where the expected type I infrared emission was dominated by more intense …
Composition-Tunable Properties Of Cdsxte1-X Alloy Nanocrystals, Nilanka P. Gurusinghe, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Mikhail Zamkov
Composition-Tunable Properties Of Cdsxte1-X Alloy Nanocrystals, Nilanka P. Gurusinghe, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Ternary CdSxTe1-x semiconductor quantum dots with both homogeneous and gradient composition have been fabricated via pyrolysis of organometallic precursors. The nanocrystal structure, size, and composition were characterized by UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray elemental analysis, and X-ray diffractrometry. It was found that the band gap of homogeneously alloyed CdSxTe1-x is highly nonlinear with the crystalline composition, which was evidenced by a significant red-shift in the fluorescence of these nanocrystals with respect to the emission wavelength of their CdS and CdTe binary compounds. This effect, also known as optical bowing, seems to be enhanced in CdSxTe1-x …
Synthesis And Characterization Of Type Ii Znse/Cds Core/Shell Nanocrystals, Alexander Nemchinov, Maria Kirsanova, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Mikhail Zamkov
Synthesis And Characterization Of Type Ii Znse/Cds Core/Shell Nanocrystals, Alexander Nemchinov, Maria Kirsanova, Nishshanka N. Hewa-Kasakarage, Mikhail Zamkov
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
High-quality ZnSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals, exhibiting a type II carrier localization regime, were fabricated via a traditional pyrolysis of organometallic precursors. The two-step synthesis involved fabrication of 4.5-6 nm ZnSe seeds followed by a subsequent deposition of the CdS shell. An efficient spatial separation of electrons and holes between the core and the shell was observed for heterostructures containing more than three monolayers of CdS, which was primarily evidenced by the spatially indirect emission tunable from 480 to 610 nm for a fixed core diameter. Because of a large (type II) offset of band edges at the core/shell interface, fabricated nanocrystals …
Thermal Properties Of Cubic Kta 1 X Nb X O 3 Crystals, X. P. Wang, J. Y. Wang, H. J. Zhang, Y. G. Yu, J. Wu, W. L. Gao, Robert I. Boughton
Thermal Properties Of Cubic Kta 1 X Nb X O 3 Crystals, X. P. Wang, J. Y. Wang, H. J. Zhang, Y. G. Yu, J. Wu, W. L. Gao, Robert I. Boughton
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Cubic potassium tantalite niobate KTa1−xNbxO3 KTN crystals of large size, good quality, and varying Nb concentration have been grown by the Czochralski method and their thermal properties have been systematically studied. The melting point, molar enthalpy of fusion, and molar entropy of fusion of the crystals were determined to be: 1536.9 K, 12 068.521 J mol−1, and 7.85 J K−1 mol−1 for KTa0.67Nb0.33O3; and 1520.61 K, 15 352.511 J mol−1, and 10.098 J K−1 mol−1 for KTa0.67Nb0.33O3, respectively. Based on the data, the Jackson factor was calculated to be 0.994f and 1.214f for KTa0.67Nb0.33O3 and KTa0.63Nb0.37O3, respectively. The thermal expansion …
Growth And Thermal Properties Of Sr W O 4 Single Crystal, J. D. Fan, H. J. Wang, M. H. Jiang, Robert I. Boughton, D. G. Ran, S. Q. Sun, H. R. Xia
Growth And Thermal Properties Of Sr W O 4 Single Crystal, J. D. Fan, H. J. Wang, M. H. Jiang, Robert I. Boughton, D. G. Ran, S. Q. Sun, H. R. Xia
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
A strontium tungstate SrWO4 single crystal with dimensions of 25 40 mm2 has been grown by the Czochralski method using an iridium crucible. X-ray powder diffraction results show that as grown the SrWO4 crystal belongs to the tetragonal system in the scheelite structure. The effective segregation coefficients of elemental W and Sr in the crystal growth are measured by x-ray fluorescence, and the respective values are close to 1. The thermal properties of the SrWO4 crystal were systemically studied by measuring the thermal expansion, specific heat, and thermal diffusion coefficient. These results show that the crystal possesses a large anisotropic …
Anisotropic Thermal Expansion Of Monoclinic Potassium Lutetium Tungstate Single Crystals, Kunpeng Wang, Jianxiu Zhang, Jiyang Wang, Huaijin Zhang, Zhengping Wang, Wentao Yu, Xuping Wang, Qingming Lu, Mingfang Ba, Robert I. Boughton
Anisotropic Thermal Expansion Of Monoclinic Potassium Lutetium Tungstate Single Crystals, Kunpeng Wang, Jianxiu Zhang, Jiyang Wang, Huaijin Zhang, Zhengping Wang, Wentao Yu, Xuping Wang, Qingming Lu, Mingfang Ba, Robert I. Boughton
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The anisotropic thermal expansion of a single crystal of KLu WO4 2 KLuW , obtained by the top-seeded solution growth method, has been investigated over a wide temperature range 50– 600 °C . The linear thermal-expansion tensor has been determined and its principal X, Y, and Z axes are in the 705 , 010 , and 107 crystallographic directions, respectively. The principal thermal-expansion coefficients I, II, and III are 12.8 10−6, 7.8 10−6, and 22.2 10−6 K−1, respectively. The principal axis with maximum thermal expansion Z with III=22.2 10−6 is located at 10.37° from the c axis. In comparison with …
Thermal And Mechanical Properties Of Bawo4 Crystal, W. W. Ge, H. J. Wang, J. Y. Wang, J. H. Liu, X. G. Xu, X. B. Hu, M. H. Jiang, D. G. Ran, S. Q. Sun, H. R. Xia, Robert I. Boughton
Thermal And Mechanical Properties Of Bawo4 Crystal, W. W. Ge, H. J. Wang, J. Y. Wang, J. H. Liu, X. G. Xu, X. B. Hu, M. H. Jiang, D. G. Ran, S. Q. Sun, H. R. Xia, Robert I. Boughton
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
A large single crystal of barium tungstate BaWO4 with dimensions of 22- mm diameter 80-mm length was grown by the Czochralski method using an iridium crucible. The melting point, molar enthalpy of fusion, and molar entropy of fusion of the crystal were determined to be 1775.10 K, 96 913.80 J mol−1, and 54.60 J K−1 mol−1, respectively. The average linear thermal-expansion coefficients are a=10.9526 10−6/K, b=10.8069 10−6 /K, and c =35.1063 10−6 /K in the temperature range from 303.15 to 1423.15 K along the three respective crystallographic axes. The density of the crystal follows an almost linear decrease from 6.393 …