Novel Devices for Light Control Based on Suspended Semiconductor Nanocrystals and Nanostructures

该项目处于胶体化学和电子工程的交界处。它的目标是开发用于光电子学应用的新型器件。这种装置是基于电极化颗粒的胶体悬浮液，其性能类似于液晶材料。悬浮的半导体纳米颗粒和异质结构将用于控制系统的电子和光学特性。我们的目标是结合两种新的思想和方法：(I)一种化学方法来创造一种基于冻结产生胶体液晶的微乳液液滴的极化来制造永久电偶极矩纳米粒子的方法，以及(Ii)一种工程方法来开发基于半导体纳米晶体和异质结构的新型悬浮半导体粒子器件用于光控制。我们将发展这些想法来生产以半导体材料为基础的胶体液晶。这将允许我们使用弱电场来控制悬浮半导体颗粒薄膜的光学和电学性质。这些新想法的成功结合将为制造具有许多光电应用的全新的光控制设备提供一条途径，如大型电视显示器、电子纸、天窗和智能窗户。

This project is at the interface between colloid chemistry and electronic engineering. It is aimed at the development of novel devices for optoelectronic applications. The devices are based on colloidal suspensions of electrically polarised particles, which perform similarly to liquid-crystalline materials. Suspended semiconductor nanoparticles and heterostructures will be used for control of electronic and optical properties of the systems. We are aiming to combine two novel ides and approaches: (i) a chemical approach to create a fabrication method for nanoparticles of permanent electric dipolar moment based on freezing the polarisation of microemulsion drops, which produces colloidal liquid crystals , and (ii) an engineering approach to develop novel Suspended Semiconductor Particle Devices for light control based on semiconductor nanocrystals and heterostructures. We will develop these ideas to produce colloid liquid crystals based on semiconductor materials. This would allow us to use weak electric fields to control the optical and electronic properties of thin films of suspended semiconductor particles. The successful combination of these new ideas would provide a route to fabrication of completely novel devices for light control with a number of optoelectronic applications, like large TV displays, electronic paper, sky roofs and smart windows.