Recent Advances in Zinc-Containing Colloidal Semiconductor Nanocrystals for Optoelectronic and Energy Conversion Applications

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), especially cadmium (Cd)- and lead (Pb)-containing ones, have been proved to be the promising materials for photoelectronic energy conversion applications. However, the high toxicity and cost of these materials restrict their widespread use. Zinc (Zn)-conta...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chen, Dechao, Wang, A., Buntine, Mark, Jia, Guohua
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE160100589
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/83415
Description
Summary:Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), especially cadmium (Cd)- and lead (Pb)-containing ones, have been proved to be the promising materials for photoelectronic energy conversion applications. However, the high toxicity and cost of these materials restrict their widespread use. Zinc (Zn)-containing colloidal semiconductor NCs are non-/less toxic and environmentally friendly materials, manifesting in stimulating optical and electronic properties with relevance to a broad scope of applications including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), sensors, photocatalysts, and more. In this Review, we elaborate on the shape control of Zn-containing colloidal semiconductor NCs achieved by a variety of wet-chemical synthetic approaches. Moreover, the formation of core-shell, doped, and hybrid structures based on Zn-containing colloidal semiconductor NCs allow for the optimization of their functionalities, which underpin stimulating photoelectronic energy conversion applications in quantum-dot LEDs (QLEDs), photodetectors, and photocatalysis. Zn-containing colloidal semiconductor NCs that combine the green chemistry with sustainable developments possess a bright future.