Energetic and entropic contributions to self-assembly of binary nanocrystal superlattices: temperature as the structure-directing factor

J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Sep 1;132(34):11967-77. doi: 10.1021/ja103083q.

Abstract

We studied the effect of temperature on self-assembly of monodisperse colloidal nanocrystals into single-component and binary superlattices. Temperature, which serves as a weighting factor for the internal energy (U) and entropy (S) contributions to the Helmholtz free energy F = U - TS, allows tailoring relative weights of the interparticle interactions and free-volume entropy during the formation of nanocrystal superlattices. Temperature also provides a convenient tool for directing self-assembly of nanocrystals toward desired superlattice structures. We found that temperature strongly affects the structures of binary superlattices self-assembled from the mixtures of CdSe + PbS nanocrystals and PbSe + Pd nanocrystals. In the former case, small Hamaker constants for CdSe and PbS nanocrystals led to a relatively simple phase diagram, including only high-density NaZn(13)-, AlB(2)-, and NaCl-type binary superlattices. In contrast, binary superlattices self-assembled at different temperatures from PbSe and Pd nanocrystals showed a number of low-density complex phases stabilized by strong local van der Waals interactions between Pd nanocrystals. The structural diversity of nanoparticle superlattices is shown to be a result of the cooperative effect of the entropy-driven crystallization and the interparticle interactions. Both DeltaU and TDeltaS terms associated with the superlattice formation should be of the same order of magnitude, with |DeltaU| < |TDeltaS| for the assembly of CdSe and PbS nanocrystals and |DeltaU| > |TDeltaS| for the PbSe and Pd nanocrystals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cadmium Compounds / chemistry
  • Colloids / chemistry
  • Lead / chemistry
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Selenium Compounds / chemistry
  • Sulfides / chemistry
  • Temperature*
  • Thermodynamics*

Substances

  • Cadmium Compounds
  • Colloids
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Selenium Compounds
  • Sulfides
  • lead selenide
  • lead sulfide
  • Lead
  • cadmium selenide