Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers have synthesized well-defined hybrid noble-metal/SiO2/semiconductor-nanocrystal superstructures with controllable metal core size, silica shell thickness, and nanocrystal composition/size. These structures can be designed to produce significant enhancements in emission efficiencies and/or absorption cross sections compared to isolated nanocrystals.
Applications
- Ultra thin (potentially single nanoparticle layer) solar cells dual fluorescence/Raman sensing and imaging
- Solid-state lighting
- Amplification of surface plasmons
Advantages
- Simplicity of the synthetic route
- Possibility for tuning emission and absorption spectra using the same chemistry
- Precise control of interactions of light emitting/absorbing chromophores with a metal provided by continuous management of the silica spacer width
- Possibility for obtaining increased emission efficiencies
- Significant enhancement in absorption cross sections.
More info: David Pesiri, 505-665-7279, pesiri@lanl.gov
