Ligand Effects on Synthesis and Post-Synthetic Stability of PbSe Nanocrystals

This paper reports the effect of ligands including oleic acid (OA), trioctylphosphine (TOP), and tributylphosphine (TBP) on the PbSe nanocrystal growth during synthesis, as well as the effect of OA ligands on the nanocrystal stability after synthesis. These ligands play important roles in the nucleation and growth mechanism of nanocrystals. We have discovered that the ligand effect on the growth of PbSe nanocrystals can differ from that on the mostly studied CdSe nanocrystals. Also, we present a method for producing relatively smaller and more monodisperse PbSe nanocrystals based on our new understanding that the use of TBP, instead of the generally reported TOP, can slow clown the growth of PbSe nanocrystals. In addition, our postsynthetic investigation of OA ligand effects demonstrate the dominant desorption of OA-bonded Pb atoms, causing the shrinkage of PbSe nanocrystals. This provides some insight into stabilization strategies for labile PbSe nanocrystals.