Size-Tunable Semiconducting Nanoclusters and Their Spatial Organization

冯平云博士，加州大学河滨分校化学系，由化学系无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目资助，主要从事半导体四面体簇及其晶体超晶格的合成、结构表征和光学研究。一个合成目标是在纳米颗粒尺寸谱的下限制备均匀的半导体团簇。另一种是使用功能性有机配体，包括光学活性染料，来组织、稳定和组装半导体杂化金属团簇。各种组成和结构因素将被研究，包括纳米团簇的大小，团簇中六方和立方组分的相对比例，化学组成，包括核-壳构型，表面配体的类型以及团簇间的相互作用。该项目将集中研究由硫化物、硫酸盐和一些扩展的有机染料配体支撑的镉四面体簇。这些新材料可能导致电催化、光伏、化学传感器、生物传感器等新技术的发展。此外，该项目将为包括非洲裔美国人和西班牙裔美国人在内的多元化学生群体扩大教学和研究机会。本科生、研究生和博士后学生将有机会参与多样化的材料化学项目，这将为他们未来的科学事业做好准备。

Dr. Pingyun Feng, Chemistry, Department, University of California - Riveside, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division for the synthesis, structural characterization, and optical studies on semiconducting tetrahedral clusters and their crystalline superlattices. One synthetic objective is to prepare uniform semiconducting clusters at the lower limit of the size spectrum for nanoparticles. Another is to use functional organic ligands, including optically active dyes, to organize, stabilize, and assemble semiconducting hybrid metal clusters. Various compositional and structural factors will be investigated, including the size of the nanoclusters, the relative ratios of hexagonal and cubic components in clusters, the chemical compositions including core-shell configurations, the type of surface ligands, and the inter-cluster interactions. The project will concentrate on tetrahedral clusters of cadmium supported by sulfide, thiolate, and some extended organic dye ligands. These new materials could lead to new technologies for electrocatalysis, photovoltaics, chemical sensors, biosensors etc. Additionally, the project will broaden teaching and research opportunities for to a diverse student population including African-Americans and Hispanics. Undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students will be provided the opportunity to participate in a diverse materials chemistry program, which will prepare them for future scientific careers.