| Apr 29, 2019 |
Formation of honeycomb nanostructures finally explained(Nanowerk News) A few years ago, a promising new type of nanomaterial was observed experimentally, combining the virtues of semiconductors with those of graphene. The material is formed by nanocrystals that spontaneously assemble into a honeycomb structure. |
| Until now, it was unclear why the nanocrystals show this specific behaviour, but Utrecht researchers Giuseppe Soligno and Daniel Vanmaekelbergh have now developed a simulation model that reproduces the formation of these nanostructures in detail. |
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| The simulation shows the honeycomb structure of the nanomaterial. (Image: Utrecht University) |
| The researchers are publishing their results in Physical Review X ("Understanding the formation of PbSe honeycomb superstructures by dynamics simulations"). |
| Square and honeycomb lattices are of great interest for semiconductor applications, thanks to their optoelectronic properties. |
| “This unique combination of semiconductor nanocrystals that adopt the structure of graphene is one of the holy grails of materials science,” Prof. Vanmaekelbergh explains. |
| In their new model, the researchers have included all relevant forces involved in self-assembly. The resulting simulations show that tuning only a few parameters directs the final outcome. |
| In particular, the assembled structure depends on the interplay between interface-adsorption forces and short-range electrostatic forces between the nanocrystals. |
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| A nanocrystal at the interface between two fluids. (Image: Utrecht University) |
Controlled self-assembly |
| The model helps researchers understand how to experimentally control the self-assembly of the nanocrystals, and can easily be extended to study the self-assembly of nanoparticles at fluid-fluid interfaces into different structures. |
| The results could eventually be used in the semiconductor industry to better produce nanomaterials. |
| Source: Utrecht University |
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