Aliovalent doping of CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) via cation exchange processes has resulted in interesting and novel observations for the optical and electronic properties of the NCs. However, despite over a decade of study, these observations have largely gone unexplained, partially due to an inability to precisely characterize the physical properties of the doped NCs. Here, electrostatic force microscopy was used to determine the static charge on individual, cationdoped CdSe NCs in order to investigate their net charge as a function of added cations. While the NC charge was relatively insensitive to the relative amount of doped cation per NC, there was a remarkable and unexpected correlation between the average NC charge and PL intensity, for all dopant cations introduced. We conclude that the changes in PL intensity, as tracked also by changes in NC charge, are likely a consequence of changes in the NC radiative rate caused by symmetry breaking of the electronic states of the nominally spherical NC due to the Coulombic potential introduced by ionized cations.

Electrospun nanofiber mats were prepared from low-viscosity sol-gel silica without the addition of a carrier polymer. Silica sols synthesized from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) under acidic conditions were electrospun into nanofibers in the viscosity range of 2 to 4 mPa·s. The influence of ethanol and water concentrations on the viscosity of as-synthesized and aged silica sols was also determined. Nanofibers produced from as-synthesized sols with a TEOS:H 2 O ratio of 1:2 ranged in diameter from 50 nm to 200 nm. Increases in viscosity, whether due to aging or increased water concentration in the sol resulted in fragmented nanofibers. Nanofiber mats used as the stationary phase for thin layer chromatography (TLC) were able to separate components of a test dye mixture.

Cation exchange is becoming extensively used for nanocrystal (NC) doping in order to produce NCs with unique optical and electronic properties. However, despite its everincreasing use, the relationships between the cation exchange process, its doped NC products, and the resulting NC photophysics are not well characterized. For example, similar doping procedures on NCs with the same chemical compositions have resulted in quite different photophysics. Through a detailed single molecule investigation of a postsynthesis Ag + doping of CdSe NCs, a number of species were identified within a single doped NC sample, suggesting the differences in the optical properties of the various synthesis methods are due to the varied contributions of each species. Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) mapping, and single molecule photoluminescence (PL) studies were used to identify four possible species resulting from the Ag + -CdSe cation exchange doping process. The heterogeneity of these samples shows the difficulty in controlling a postsynthesis cation exchange method to produce homogeneous samples needed for use in any potential application. Additionally, the heterogeneity in the doped samples demonstrates that significant care must be taken in describing the ensemble or average characteristics of the sample.

Cation exchange is becoming extensively used for nanocrystal (NC) doping in order to produce NCs with unique optical and electronic properties. However, despite its ever-increasing use, the relationships between the cation exchange process, its doped NC products, and the resulting NC photophysics are not well characterized. For example, similar doping procedures on NCs with the same chemical compositions have resulted in quite different photophysics. Through a detailed single molecule investigation of a post-synthesis Ag+ doping of CdSe NCs, a number of species were identified within a single doped NC sample, suggesting the differences in the optical properties of the various synthesis methods are due to the varied contributions of each species. Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) mapping, and single molecule photoluminescence (PL) studies were used to identify four possible species resulting from the Ag+-CdSe cation exchange doping process. The heterogeneity of these samples shows the difficulty in controlling a post-synthesis cation exchange method to produce homogenous samples needed for use in any potential application. Additionally, the heterogeneity in the doped samples demonstrates that significant care must be taken in describing the ensemble or average characteristics of the sample.