Skip to main content

Molecular Foundry

HIGHLIGHTSDynamic Deformability of Individual PbSe Nanocrystals During Superlattice Phase Transitions
June 7, 2019

Dynamic deformability of individual PbSe nanocrystals during superlattice phase transitions was revealed through liquid cell TEM. (A) Schematic illustration of carbon-film liquid cell for the TEM imaging of the superlattice phase transitions triggered by ligand removal. (B) Ex-situ STEM images showing the elongation of nanocrystals during the transformation from hexagonal monolayer to nano-chains. Scale bars are 20 nm. (C) Models reconstructed from in-situ movies show the deformation of nanocrystals to be dynamic and reversible.

Scientific Achievement

Uncovered reversible giant deformation of individual semiconductor nanocrystals using in-situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy.

Significance and Impact

An understanding of the dynamic deformability of nanocrystals is critical to achieving nanocrystal superlattices with structural perfection, thus enhancing the performance of semiconductor nanocrystals in many applications.

Research Details

  • In-situ liquid cell TEM imaging revealed the unexpected phenomenon that PbSe semiconductor nanocrystals may drastically change shape during superlattice phase transitions.
  • The deformability of semiconductor nanocrystals is reversible and can be controlled by the chemical environments upon ligand removal.
  • The large deformation, which is responsible for the structural defects in the epitaxially-fused nanocrystal superlattice, may arise from inter-nanocrystal dipole–dipole interactions.
Y. Wang, X. Peng, A. Abelson, P. Xiao, C. Qian, L. Yu, C. Ophus, P. Ercius, L. Wang, M. Law, H. Zheng, Sci. Adv. 5, eaaw5623 (2019)

Was this page useful?

Send
like not like