Precision Synthesis of Semiconductor Nanoclusters—Merging Material and Molecular Chemistry

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals are complex materials, with packing of atoms in the core and bonding of molecules on the surface. Thus, atomic-level control of nanocrystals calls for the merging of material and molecular chemistry at the nanoscale. Here, I will present our recent progress in combining coordination, cluster, and colloidal chemistry to achieve the precision synthesis of atomically defined semiconductor nanoclusters. The development of precise nanoscale reactions allows us to answer some important questions in semiconductor nanochemistry, including (i) how the surface of nanocrystals is collaboratively passivated by different types of ligands, (ii) the origin of chirality and polarity in semiconductor nanostructures, (iii) the precise correlation between the optical properties and electronic structures, and (iv) the atomic level insights into the intricate nanoscale reaction mechanisms. We expect that precision nanosynthesis will provide a designable approach to access a library of atomically precise semiconductor nanocrystals with tailored properties, thus enhancing their existing applications or enabling emergent ones.