Multi-heterojunction nanoparticles, methods of manufacture thereof and articles comprising the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a semiconducting nanoparticle comprising a one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle having a first end and a second end; where the second end is opposed to the first end; a first node that comprises a first semiconductor; where the first node contacts a radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle producing a first heterojunction at the point of contact; and a second node that comprises a second semiconductor; where the second node contacts the radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle producing a second heterojunction at the point of contact; where the first heterojunction is compositionally different from the second heterojunction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semiconducting nanoparticle comprising:
 a one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle having a first end and a second end; where the second end is opposed to the first end;   a first node that comprises a first semiconductor; where the first node contacts a radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle producing a first heterojunction at the point of contact; and   a second node that comprises a second semiconductor; where the second node contacts the radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle producing a second heterojunction at the point of contact; where the first heterojunction is compositionally different from the second heterojunction.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconducting nanoparticle of  claim 1 , where the first nodes and the second nodes are randomly disposed upon the surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconducting nanoparticle of  claim 1 , further comprising a first endcap disposed on the first end of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle; where the first endcap comprises a first semiconductor. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconducting nanoparticle of  claim 1 , further comprising another first endcap disposed on the second end of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle; where the another first endcap has a similar composition to the first endcap disposed on the first end of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle. 
     
     
         5 . The semiconducting nanoparticle of  claim 1 , where the another first endcap has a different composition to the first endcap disposed on the first end of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconducting nanoparticle of  claim 2 , further comprising a second endcap disposed upon and in contact with the first endcap; where the second endcap has a different composition from the first endcap. 
     
     
         7 . The semiconducting nanoparticle of  claim 2 , where the one-dimensional nanoparticle comprises CdS, the first node comprises CdSe or CdTe and the second node comprises ZnSe. 
     
     
         8 . The semiconducting nanoparticle of  claim 1 , where the first nodes and the second nodes are spatially arranged in a non-contiguous fashion. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 reacting a first precursor to a semiconductor with a second precursor to a semiconductor to form a one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle; where the first one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle has a first end and a second end that is opposed to the first end;   reacting a third precursor to a semiconductor with the one dimensional nanoparticle to form the first node that contacts the one-dimensional nanoparticle at a radial surface to form a first heterojunction; and   reacting the one-dimensional nanoparticle having the first node disposed thereon with a fourth precursor to a semiconductor to form a second node that is disposed at the radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle and forms a second heterojunction; where the second heterojunction is compositionally different from the first heterojunction.   
     
     
         10 . An article comprising:
 a first electrode;   a second electrode; and   a layer comprising a semiconducting nanoparticle disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; where the semiconducting nanoparticle comprises:
 a one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle having a first end and a second end; where the second end is opposed to the first end; and 
 a first node that comprises a first semiconductor; where the first node contacts a radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle producing a first heterojunction at the point of contact; and 
 a second node that comprises a second semiconductor; where the second node contacts the radial surface of the one-dimensional semiconducting nanoparticle producing a second heterojunction at the point of contact; where the first heterojunction is compositionally different from the second heterojunction. 
   
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 10 , wherein the article emits visible light when subjected to an electric potential and current.