Graded-Alloy Semiconductor Nanocrystals

托德教授D.克劳斯的罗切斯特大学是由大分子，超分子和纳米化学（MSN）计划在化学部的支持下，合成梯度核-壳CdZnSe/ZnSe量子点（QD），并表征其结构和物理特性，使用一套分析光谱和显微镜技术。预期通过合成具有跨越QD的平滑势能变化的QD结构，将减轻单个量子点的光致发光（PL）闪烁。这种QD结构有望减少非辐射俄歇型过程，这被认为是PL闪烁的主要原因。尽管经过十多年的研究，半导体QD的光致发光的间歇性“闪烁”的根本原因仍然难以捉摸。这项研究的首要目标是了解眨眼现象的根本原因，这将最终导致完全缓解眨眼。 闪烁严重限制了QD在需要连续输出单光子的应用中的有用性。例如，通过单蛋白荧光标记和非闪烁量子点跟踪的重大进展，最终可能会发现新的疾病治疗方法。 拟议的研究还规定了下一代物理化学家的教育和培训，包括妇女和代表性不足的少数民族。女研究生和博士后在化学方面的成就将在罗切斯特大学专门创建的网站上突出显示。

Professor Todd D. Krauss of the University of Rochester is supported by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program in the Division of Chemistry to synthesize graded core-shell CdZnSe/ZnSe quantum dots (QDs) and to characterize their structural and photophysical properties using a suite of analytical spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. It is expected that the photoluminescence (PL) blinking of individual quantum dots will be mitigated through the synthesis of QD structures having smooth potential energy variations across the QD. Such a QD structure is expected to reduce non-radiative Auger-type processes, which are believed to be a leading cause of PL blinking.Despite over a decade of research, the root cause of an intermittent "blinking" of the photoluminescence of semiconductor QDs remains elusive. The overarching goal of this research is to understand fundamental causes of the blinking phenomenon, which will eventually lead to the mitigation of blinking altogether. Blinking severely limits the usefulness of QDs in applications that require the continuous output of single photons. For example, new cures for disease may be eventually discovered through the significant advances in single-protein fluorescent labeling and tracking enabled by non-blinking QDs. The proposed research also provides for the education and training of the next generation of physical chemists, inclusive of women and underrepresented minorities. The accomplishments of women graduate students and postdocs in chemistry will be highlighted on a specifically created website at the University of Rochester.