The interest in nanoscale materials stems from the fact that new properties are acquired at this length scale and, equally important, that these properties * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone, 404-8940292; fax, 404-894-0294; e-mail, mostafa.el-sayed@ chemistry.gatech.edu. † Case Western Reserve UniversitysMillis 2258. ‡ Phone, 216-368-5918; fax, 216-368-3006; e-mail, burda@case.edu. § Georgia Institute of Technology. 1025 Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 1025−1102

Chemistry and properties of nanocrystals of different shapes.

Graphene-Like Two-Dimensional Materials

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies for solar energy conversion represent promising routes to green and renewable energy generation. Despite relevant PV technologies being available for more than half a century, the production of solar energy remains costly, largely owing to low power conversion efficiencies of solar cells. The main difficulty in improving the efficiency of PV energy conversion lies in the spectral mismatch between the energy distribution of photons in the incident solar spectrum and the bandgap of a semiconductor material. In recent years, luminescent materials, which are capable of converting a broad spectrum of light into photons of a particular wavelength, have been synthesized and used to minimize the losses in the solar-cell-based energy conversion process. In this review, we will survey recent progress in the development of spectral converters, with a particular emphasis on lanthanide-based upconversion, quantum-cutting and down-shifting materials, for PV applications. In addition, we will also present technical challenges that arise in developing cost-effective high-performance solar cells based on these luminescent materials.

Enhancing solar cell efficiency: the search for luminescent materials as spectral converters

Advanced energy conversion and storage (ECS) devices (including fuel cells, photoelectrochemical water splitting cells, solar cells, Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors) are expected to play a major role in the development of sustainable technologies that alleviate the energy and environmental challenges we are currently facing. The successful utilization of ECS devices depends critically on synthesizing new nanomaterials with merits of low cost, high efficiency, and outstanding properties. Recent progress has demonstrated that nanostructured metal chalcogenides (MCs) are very promising candidates for efficient ECS systems based on their unique physical and chemical properties, such as conductivity, mechanical and thermal stability and cyclability. In this review, we aim to provide a summary on the liquid-phase synthesis, modifications, and energy-related applications of nanostructured metal chalcogenide (MC) materials. The liquid-phase syntheses of various MC nanomaterials are primarily categorized with the preparation method (mainly 15 kinds of methods). To obtain optimized, enhanced or even new properties, the nanostructured MC materials can be modified by other functional nanomaterials such as carbon-based materials, noble metals, metal oxides, or MCs themselves. Thus, this review will then be focused on the recent strategies used to realize the modifications of MC nanomaterials. After that, the ECS applications of the MC/modified-MC nanomaterials have been systematically summarized based on a great number of successful cases. Moreover, remarks on the challenges and perspectives for future MC research are proposed (403 references).

Nanostructured metal chalcogenides: synthesis, modification, and applications in energy conversion and storage devices

To solve the problem of the global energy shortage and the pollution of the environment, in recent years, semiconductor photocatalytic technology that converts solar energy into chemical fuel has been widely studied. Regarding semiconductor-based photocatalysts, CdS has attracted extensive attention due to its relatively narrow bandgap for visible-light response and sufficiently negative potential of the conduction band edge for the reduction of protons. Studies have shown that CdS-based photocatalysts possess excellent photocatalytic performance in terms of solar-fuel generation and environmental purification. This critical review presents the recent advances and progress in the design and synthesis of various CdS and CdS-based photocatalysts. The basic physical and chemical properties of CdS and the related growth mechanism have been briefly summarized. Moreover, the applications of CdS-based photocatalysts have been discussed such as in photocatalytic hydrogen production, reduction of CO2 to hydrocarbon fuels and degradation of pollutants. Finally, a brief perspective on the challenges and future directions for the development of CdS and CdS-based photocatalysts are also presented.

CdS-Based photocatalysts

The synthesis and characterization of 3.5, 4.5, and 8 nm diameter MoS2 nanoclusters are described. Each size is characterized by TEM images, electron diffraction, and optical spectroscopy. These nanoclusters can be synthesized directly or may be synthesized from samples of polydisperse nanoclusters. Obtaining larger or smaller discrete sizes from polydisperse samples indicates that these nanocluster sizes are thermodynamically favored, that is, these sizes correspond to free-energy minima. Electron diffraction and static spectroscopic results indicate that the particles are three atoms thick, specifically, single S−Mo−S trilayer disks. Static and time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy were used to determine the polarizations of the lowest energy allowed transitions in each case. We find that the 8 nm particles have a lowest energy absorption maximum at 473 nm that has mixed x − y and z polarizations, 4.5 nm particles have absorption maxima at 400 and 440 nm that are x − y and z polarized, resp...

Size-Dependent Spectroscopy of MoS2 Nanoclusters

: The two tautomeric forms of 2 hydroxypyridine (2-HP) have been studied in a supersonic jet expansion. Time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (TOFMS) and emission spectroscopy of the lactim and lactam tautomers have been studied and are reported here. The lactim spectrum is similar to an earlier TOFMS spectrum and has its origin at 36,136/cm. Evidence of mixing of the npi and pi electronic states is seen in the lactim spectrum. The mixing is removed in the disolvate water cluster but not in monosolvate clusters of ammonia or water. The lactam is shown to be nonplanar giving rise to two origins in the excitation spectrum at 29,832/cm and 29,935/cm. The ammonia and water lactim cluster spectra show significant shifts to the red while the cluster spectra of the lactam show large shifts to the blue. Experimental evidence for strong hydrogen bonding in these clusters is discussed. Intramolecular and intermolecular proton transfer in 2-HP and its clusters is discussed in the context of these data. Pyridines.

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Spectroscopy, structure, and proton dynamics of 2-hydroxypyridine and its clusters with water and ammonia

Excited‐state proton transfer dynamics are reported for the 1‐naphthol(NH3)n cluster system for n=3 and 4. Picosecond time‐ and mass‐resolved pump (S1←S0)–probe (I←S1) experiments demonstrate the following results: (1) excited‐state proton transfer occurs for n=3 and 4 clusters only; (2) for n=5 clusters the proton is transferred in the ground state and for n=2 clusters no proton transfer can be observed; (3) the proton transfer time in the n=3 cluster at the 000 transition is ca. 60 ps; (4) this time is reduced to ca. 40 ps and ca. 10 ps for 800 and 1400 cm−1 of vibrational energy in S1, respectively; (5) for the n=4 clusters these times are approximately 70, 70, and 30 ps, for 0, 800, and 1400 cm−1 of vibrational energy in S1, respectively; (6) both n=3 and 4 clusters exhibit a second low‐amplitude decay component, which is about an order of magnitude slower than the initial decay; and (7) 1‐naphthol‐d1(ND3)n clusters have a greatly reduced rate constant for the excited‐state proton transfer dynamics. T...

Excited-state proton transfer in 1-naphthol/ammonia clusters

The first excited electronic state (S1) vibrational dynamics of aniline(Ar)1 and aniline(CH4)1 van der Waals (vdW) clusters have been studied using molecular jet and time resolved emission spectroscopic techniques. The rates of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) and vibrational predissociation (VP) as functions of vibrational energy are reported for both clusters. For vibrational energy in excess of the cluster binding energy, both clusters are observed to dissociate. The dispersed emission spectra of these clusters demonstrate that aniline(Ar)1 dissociates to all energetically accessible bare molecule states and that aniline(CH4)1 dissociates selectively to only the bare molecule vibrationless state. The emission kinetics show that in the aniline(Ar)1 case, the initially excited states have nanosecond lifetimes, and intermediate cluster states have very short lifetimes. In contrast, the initially excited aniline(CH4)1 states and other intermediate vibrationally excited cluster states are very short lived (<100 ps), and the intermediate cluster 00 state is observed. These results can be understood semiquantitatively in terms of an overall serial IVR/VP mechanism which consists of the following: (1) the rates of chromophore to vdW mode IVR are given by Fermi’s golden rule, and the density of vdW vibrational states is the most important factor in determining the relative [aniline(Ar)1 vs aniline(CH4)1] rates of IVR; (2) IVR among the vdW modes is rapid; and (3) VP rates can be calculated by a restricted vdW mode phase space Rice–Ramsberger–Kassel–Marcus theory. Since the density of vdW states is three orders of magnitude greater for aniline(CH4)1 than aniline(Ar)1 at 700 cm−1, the model predicts that IVR is slow and rate limiting in aniline(Ar)1, whereas VP is slow and rate limiting in aniline(CH4)1. The agreement of these predictions with the experimental results is very good and is discussed in detail.

Vibrational dynamics of aniline(Ar)1 and aniline(CH4)1 clusters

In this paper we critically examine the literature and provide new data on fundamental optical properties of II–VI quantum dots (QDs). Specifically, we examine the integrated extinction coefficient...

David F. Kelley

Papers

Size-Dependent Spectroscopy of MoS2 Nanoclusters

Spectroscopy, structure, and proton dynamics of 2-hydroxypyridine and its clusters with water and ammonia

Excited-state proton transfer in 1-naphthol/ammonia clusters

Vibrational dynamics of aniline(Ar)1 and aniline(CH4)1 clusters

Extinction Coefficients, Oscillator Strengths, and Radiative Lifetimes of CdSe, CdTe, and CdTe/CdSe Nanocrystals