Ligand Effects on Intramolecular Configuration, Intermolecular Packing, and Optical Properties of Metal Nanoclusters

Surface modification has served as an efficient approach to dictate nanocluster structures and properties. In this work, based on an Ag22 nanocluster template, the effects of surface modification on intracluster constructions and intercluster packing modes, as well as the properties of nanoclusters or cluster-based crystallographic assemblies have been investigated. On the molecular level, the Ag22 nanocluster with larger surface steric hindrance was inclined to absorb more small-steric chlorine but less bulky thiol ligands on its surface. On the supramolecular level, the regulation of intramolecular and intermolecular interactions in nanocluster crystallographic assemblies rendered them CIEE (crystallization-induced emission enhancement)-active or -inactive nanomaterials. This study has some innovation in the molecular and intramolecular tailoring of metal nanoclusters, which is significant for the preparation of new cluster-based nanomaterials with customized structures and enhanced performances.

Download Full-text

Surface modification by high-energy heavy-ion irradiation in various crystalline ZnO facets

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics ◽

10.1039/d1cp02388h ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (39) ◽

pp. 22673-22684

Author(s):

Adéla Jagerová ◽

Romana Mikšová ◽

Oleksander Romanenko ◽

Iva Plutnarova ◽

Zdeněk Sofer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Surface Modification ◽

Ion Irradiation ◽

Heavy Ion ◽

High Energy ◽

Heavy Ion Irradiation ◽

Surface Nanostructures ◽

The Creation

The high-energy ion irradiation induces the creation of ZnO surface nanostructures affecting optical properties, which may be promising for photocatalysis and optoelectronics.

Download Full-text

Molecular insertion regulates the donor-acceptor interactions in cocrystals for the design of piezochromic luminescent materials

10.21203/rs.3.rs-226341/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chunguang Zhai ◽

Xiu Yin ◽

Shifeng Niu ◽

Mingguang Yao ◽

Shuhe Hu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intermolecular Interactions ◽

Luminescent Properties ◽

Blue Shift ◽

Luminescent Materials ◽

Conformation Change ◽

Emission Enhancement ◽

Donor Acceptor ◽

Fine Manipulation

Abstract Developing a universal strategy to design new piezochromic luminescent materials with desirable properties remains challenging. Here, we report that insertion of a non-emissive molecule into a donor (perylene) and acceptor (TCNB) binary cocrystal can realize fine manipulation of intermolecular interactions between perylene and TCNB for desirable piezochromic luminescent properties. A continuous pressure-induced emission enhancement up to 3 GPa and a blue shift from 655 nm to 619 nm have been observed in perylene-TCNB cocrystals upon THF insertion, in contrast to the red-shifted and quenched emission observed when compressing perylene-TCNB cocrystals and other cocrystals reported earlier. By combining experiment with theory, it is further revealed that the inserted non-emissive THF forms blue-shifted H-bonds with neighboring TCNB molecules and promote a conformation change of perylene molecules upon compression, causing the blue-shifted and enhanced emission. This strategy remains valid when inserting other molecules as non-emissive component into perylene-TCNB cocrystals for abnormal piezochromic luminescent behaviors. Our strategy could also be extended to other cocrystals with different donor-acceptor components, opening a new way for designing novel piezochromic luminescent materials for future applications.

Download Full-text

Upconversion lanthanide nanomaterials: basics introduction, synthesis approaches, mechanism and application in photodetector and photovoltaic devices

Nanotechnology ◽

10.1088/1361-6528/ac37e3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Baharak Mehrdel ◽

Ali Nikbakht ◽

Azlan Abdul Aziz ◽

Mahmood S. Jameel ◽

Mohammed Ali Dheyab ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Surface Passivation ◽

Upconversion Emission ◽

High Energy ◽

Photovoltaic Devices ◽

Plasmonic Enhancement ◽

Host Matrix ◽

Emission Enhancement ◽

Improved Performance

Abstract Upconversion (UC) of lanthanide-doped nanostructure has the unique ability to convert low energy infrared (IR) light to high energy photons, which has significant potential for energy conversion applications. This review concisely discusses the basic concepts and fundamental theories of lanthanide nanostructures, synthesis techniques, and enhancement methods of upconversion for photovoltaic and for near-infrared (NIR) photodetector application. In addition, a few examples of lanthanide-doped nanostructures with improved performance were discussed, with particular emphasis on upconversion emission enhancement using coupling plasmon. The use of UC materials has been shown to significantly improve the NIR light-harvesting properties of photovoltaic devices and photocatalytic materials. However, the inefficiency of UC emission also prompted the need for additional modification of the optical properties of UC material. This improvement entailed the proper selection of the host matrix and optimization of the sensitizer and activator concentrations, followed by subjecting the UC material to surface-passivation, plasmonic enhancement, or doping. As expected, improving the optical properties of UC materials can lead to enhanced efficiency of photodetectors and photovoltaic devices.

Download Full-text

Insights on the impact of photophysical processes and defect states evolution on the emission properties of surface-modified ZnO nanoplates for application in photocatalysis and hybrid LEDs

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics ◽

10.1039/d1cp05110e ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dhritiman Banerjee ◽

Payal Banerjee ◽

Asit Kumar Kar

Keyword(s):

Zinc Oxide ◽

Optical Properties ◽

Surface Modification ◽

Defect State ◽

Defect States ◽

Emission Properties ◽

Photophysical Processes ◽

State Densities ◽

Surface Modified ◽

The Impact

The effects of surface modification on the defect state densities, optical properties, photocatalytic and quantum efficiencies of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoplates have been studied in this work. Here, the aim...

Download Full-text

Water-soluble metal nanoclusters: recent advances in molecular-level exploration and biomedical applications

Dalton Transactions ◽

10.1039/c9dt01395d ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (28) ◽

pp. 10385-10392 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Xinyue Dou ◽

Xiaoyu Chen ◽

Haiguang Zhu ◽

Yong Liu ◽

Dongyun Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomedical Applications ◽

Molecular Level ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Metal Nanoclusters ◽

Growth Processes ◽

Recent Advances ◽

Ligand Shell

Recent advances of water-soluble metal nanoclusters (MNCs) in designing highly luminescent MNCs, ligand shell engineering, tracking MNC's growth processes, and biomedical applications are highlighted.

Download Full-text

Electron Density and Its Relation with Electronic and Optical Properties in 2D Mo/W Dichalcogenides

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano10112221 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2221

Author(s):

Pingping Jiang ◽

Marie-Christine Record ◽

Pascal Boulet

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Lattice Mismatch ◽

Compressive Strain ◽

Interatomic Interaction ◽

Structure Property ◽

Electronic And Optical Properties ◽

Cubic Equation ◽

Structure Property Relationships ◽

Stacking Order ◽

Structures And Properties

Two-dimensional MX2 (M = Mo, W; X = S, Se, Te) homo- and heterostructures have attracted extensive attention in electronics and optoelectronics due to their unique structures and properties. In this work, the layer-dependent electronic and optical properties have been studied by varying layer thickness and stacking order. Based on the quantum theory of atoms in molecules, topological analyses on interatomic interactions of layered MX2 and WX2/MoX2, including bond degree (BD), bond length (BL), and bond angle (BA), have been detailed to probe structure-property relationships. Results show that M-X and X-X bonds are strengthened and weakened in layered MX2 compared to the counterparts in bulks. X-X and M-Se/Te are weakened at compressive strain while strengthened at tensile strain and are more responsive to the former than the latter. Discordant BD variation of individual parts of WX2/MoX2 accounts for exclusively distributed electrons and holes, yielding type-II band offsets. X-X BL correlates positively to binding energy (Eb), while X-X BA correlates negatively to lattice mismatch (lm). The resulting interlayer distance limitation evidences constraint-free lattice of vdW structure. Finally, the connection between microscopic interatomic interaction and macroscopic electromagnetic behavior has been quantified firstly by a cubic equation relating to weighted BD summation and static dielectric constant.

Download Full-text

Effects of strain and surface modification on stability, electronic and optical properties of GaN monolayer

Applied Surface Science ◽

10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.02.171 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 479 ◽

pp. 475-481 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Huabing Shu ◽

XiangHong Niu ◽

XiaoJin Ding ◽

Ying Wang

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Surface Modification ◽

Electronic And Optical Properties

Download Full-text

The effect of crystallinity on the surface modification and optical properties of ZnO thin films

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics ◽

10.1039/c9cp05464b ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 2010-2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Muhammad Abiyyu Kenichi Purbayanto ◽

Andrivo Rusydi ◽

Yudi Darma

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Optical Properties ◽

Surface Modification ◽

Vital Role ◽

Zno Thin Films ◽

Zno Films ◽

Structure Modification

The crystallinity of starting materials has a vital role in determining the structure modification and optical properties of ZnO films after H2 annealing.

Download Full-text

Surface Modification of a-C:H(N) Thin Films by Plasma Treatment

Microscopy and Microanalysis ◽

10.1017/s1431927605051147 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 11 (S03) ◽

pp. 162-165 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

L. von Mühlen ◽

R. A. Simao ◽

C. A. Achete

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Surface Roughness ◽

Optical Properties ◽

Surface Modification ◽

Surface Chemistry ◽

Plasma Treatment ◽

Surface Properties ◽

Functional Groups ◽

Material Properties ◽

Modify Surface

Surface chemistry and topography of materials are generally preponderant factors in a series of material properties, such as adhesion, wettability, friction and optical properties [1]. Wettability of films, for example, can be altered significantly by modifying its surface roughness and also by incorporating functional groups. Plasma treatment is a powerful and versatile way to modify surface properties of amorphous nitrogen-incorporated carbon thin films (a-C:H(N)) and obtain materials with improved properties, once it is possible to modify the surfaces in a controlled way by specific settings of plasma conditions. [2 - 4]

Download Full-text