Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Quantum dots

Putting the squeeze on nanocrystals

Nature Nanotechnology volume 4, pages 16–17 (2009)Cite this article

Lattice strain has long been avoided in the world of quantum dots, but it is now being used to tune the colour of light emitted by these structures

Semiconductor nanocrystals, which are normally less than 10 nm in diameter, are used in applications as diverse as solar-energy conversion, lighting, displays and biological imaging1,2,3. Electrons and holes can move freely in a bulk semiconductor, but when they are confined in a quantum dot or a nanocrystal, the rate at which they 'recombine' and emit light is increased. The colour of this light can therefore be tuned by varying the size of the quantum dots4. On page 56 of this issue, Andrew Smith, Aaron Mohs and Shuming Nie5 of Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology show that lattice strain — the stress caused by the binding of two dissimilar materials — can also be used to tune the fluorescence of a nanocrystal.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The conventional way to change the colour of light emitted by a quantum dot is to change its size.

© EVIDENT TECHNOLOGIES

References

  1. Bruchez, M. et al. Science 281, 2013–2016 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Gao, X. H. et al. Nature Biotechnol. 22, 969–976 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Colvin, V. L. et al. Nature 370, 354–357 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Brus, L. E. J. Chem. Phys. 80, 4403–4408 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Smith, A. M., Mohs, A. M. & Nie, S. Nature Nanotech. 4, 56–63 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hines, M. A. & Guyot-Sionnest, P. J. Phys. Chem. 100, 468–471 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. McBride, J. et al. Nano Lett. 6, 1496–1501 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Chen, X. B. et al. Nano Lett. 3, 799–803 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Swafford, L. A. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 12299–12306 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kim, S. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 11466–11467 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Somers, R. C., Bawendi, M. G. & Nocera, D. G. Chem. Soc. Rev. 36, 579–591 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37235, Tennessee, USA

    Sandra J. Rosenthal & James R. McBride

  2. Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37235, Tennessee, USA

    Sandra J. Rosenthal

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37235, Tennessee, USA

    Sandra J. Rosenthal

  4. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37235, Tennessee, USA

    Sandra J. Rosenthal

Authors
  1. Sandra J. Rosenthal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. James R. McBride
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Sandra J. Rosenthal or James R. McBride.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rosenthal, S., McBride, J. Putting the squeeze on nanocrystals. Nature Nanotech 4, 16–17 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2008.386

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2008.386

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Find nanotechnology articles, nanomaterial data and patents all in one place. Visit Nano by Nature Research