Semiconductor nanocrystal precipitation synthesis

The controlled precipitation of the salt mixture is very important in the case of semiconductor nanocrystals. Therefore, Ag-Pd and Cu-Pd colloids of different composition may be obtained by alcohol reduction of mixtures of silver nitrate or copper oxide with palladium oxide. Another study reports synthesis of Fe-Pt alloy nanocrystals by thermal decomposition of the Fe and Pt acetylacetonates in high-boiling organic solvents. The co-reduction of silver nitrate and chloroauric acid with sodium borohydride led to Au-Ag alloy nanocrystals. The utilization of lasers on Au-Ag layered particles determines the Au-Ag alloying and segregation (Jia et al. 2005). 

Historically, QDs were first synthesized in glass matrices where the slow difiusion of precursors provided some measure of size control. In the last couple of decades, colloidal techniques have advanced to the point that parameters such as precursor reactivity, temperature, surfactants etc. can be independently tuned to control and regulate nanocrystal formation. This enables the synthesis of high quality solvent dispersible particles that may be further processed using simple wet-chemical methods. Qne of the earliest techniques employed to achieve this is known as the arrested precipitation method where the semiconductor growth is arrested after the... 

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