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Title: All-inorganic Germanium nanocrystal films by cationic ligand exchange

Journal Article · · Nano Letters
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  2. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV (United States)
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In this study, we introduce a new paradigm for group IV nanocrystal surface chemistry based on room temperature surface activation that enables ionic ligand exchange. Germanium nanocrystals synthesized in a gas-phase plasma reactor are functionalized with labile, cationic alkylammonium ligands rather than with traditional covalently bound groups. We employ Fourier transform infrared and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies to demonstrate the alkylammonium ligands are freely exchanged on the germanium nanocrystal surface with a variety of cationic ligands, including short inorganic ligands such as ammonium and alkali metal cations. This ionic ligand exchange chemistry is used to demonstrate enhanced transport in germanium nanocrystal films following ligand exchange as well as the first photovoltaic device based on an all-inorganic germanium nanocrystal absorber layer cast from solution. This new ligand chemistry should accelerate progress in utilizing germanium and other group IV nanocrystals for optoelectronic applications.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Advanced Solar Photophysics (CASP)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308; AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1242684
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA--5900-65566
Journal Information:
Nano Letters, Journal Name: Nano Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 16; ISSN 1530-6984
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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  • Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 135, Issue 49, p. 18536-18548 https://doi.org/10.1021/ja4086758
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Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Germanium nanocrystal
inorganic ligand
ligand exchange
plasma synthesis
quantum dots (QD)