Solid-phase flexibility in Ag2Se semiconductor nanocrystals

Nano Lett. 2014 Jan 8;14(1):115-21. doi: 10.1021/nl4041498. Epub 2013 Dec 3.

Abstract

Nanocrystals are known to alter the relative stability of bulk solid phases. Here we test the limits of this effect on Ag2Se nanocrystals, a promising new electronic and infrared material. In the bulk, Ag2Se exhibits a solid-solid phase transition to a superionic conducting phase at moderate temperatures. We map this phase transition as a function of size, temperature, and surface treatment in Ag2Se core-only and core-shell nanocrystals. We show that the transition can be tuned not just below but also above the bulk phase-transition temperature. This phase flexibility has implications for applications in optoelectronic and phase-memory devices.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't