Topological Structural Transformations of Nanoparticle Self-Assemblies Mediated by Phase Transfer and Their Application as Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Photodetectors

Abstract

Nanoparticle (NP) self-assemblies have attracted an increasing amount of attention in recent years because of their potential application in the construction of novel nanodevices. The controllable transformation of NP self-assemblies (NPS) between a polar and nonpolar environment is required for many specific applications because of their different properties in different environments. In this article, water-soluble luminescent CdS/CdTe NPS were synthesized using thioglycolic acid as a capping agent. The stiff and straight NPS bundles became loose after phase transfer from an aqueous to an organic phase. Subsequently, the NPS transferred to the aqueous phase. The loose structure transformed into many twisted nanoribbons. Additionally, hybrid photodetectors made using the organic-soluble NPS and P3HT polymers were fabricated, and we found that the NPS/P3HT blend may be perfect for light detection. The organic-soluble NPS are potentially useful for the fabrication of semiconductor nanojunctions.

Self-Assembly of Perylene Imide Molecules into 1D Nanostructures: Methods, Morphologies, and Applications

“…In brief, these bulk-phase solvent-transfer methods offer promising routes to prepare large-scale robust 1D nanofibers of PDIs that display excellent structural qualities with high levels of chemical purity, and also benefit from the simplicity of the fabrication method. , The processes allow for easier manipulation and transfer of PDI nanofibers from solution to polar or nonpolar (e.g., carbon) solid surfaces under ambient conditions than substrate-supported in situ self-assembly and vacuum deposition processes. ,,, Furthermore, the solvent-vapor annealing approach can be applied as an effective postassembly treatment to eliminate the defects and grain boundaries formed during solution-phase self-assembly processes . As a result, these versatile strategies have been applied to the fabrication of regular 1D nanostructures of other π-conjugated organic systems, − and inorganic semiconductors . However, such solution-processable self-assembly normally leads to entangled mesh-like networks of nanofibers when deposited on substrates. , While this tangled morphology may be beneficial to applications in gas sensors, it may weaken the device performance because of a significant number of charge traps .…”

“…78 As a result, these versatile strategies have been applied to the fabrication of regular 1D nanostructures of other π- conjugated organic systems, 79−81 and inorganic semiconductors. 82 However, such solution-processable self-assembly normally leads to entangled mesh-like networks of nanofibers when deposited on substrates. 14,75 While this tangled morphology may be beneficial to applications in gas sensors, it may weaken the device performance because of a significant number of charge traps.…”

Phase Transfer of Nanoparticles Using an Amphiphilic Ionic Liquid

“…An interesting tendency of Pd NPs to form closely packed structure was observed in the organic phase. Indeed, inducing the NPs to form a superstructure by phase transfer has been known. − Furthermore, it was also noted that the amount of NaCl added to the aqueous phase affected the efficacy of this method. Less than 5 mg of NaCl would not trigger the transfer, whereas increasing the amount to 20 and 40 mg could reduce the transfer time to 7 and 5 min, respectively.…”

Controllable Self‐Assembly of Amphiphilic Zwitterionic PBI Towards Tunable Surface Wettability of the Nanostructures

“…B3LYP/6–31 g* was employed to carry out single‐point energy calculations. The self‐assembly of AZP into well‐defined architectures was achieved by using the “phase‐transfer” method . AZP , SAP and ATP were initially dissolved in chloroform (or DMSO) solution to form stock solutions of 1 mg mL −1 .…”