Anistropic semiconductor nanoparticles

Abstract

The present invention provides seeded rod (SR) nanostructure systems including an elongated structure embedded with a seed structure being a core/shell structure or a single-material rod element. The SR systems disclosed herein are suitable for use in a variety of electronic and optical devices.

1 . A seeded rod (SR) nanostructure comprising an elongated structure embedding a single spherical core/shell structure,
 wherein:
 at least one material of said core, shell, and elongated structure is independently selected from the group consisting of a semiconductor material, an insulator material, and a metal oxide material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The nanostructure according to  claim 2 , wherein the peak structure in the XRD spectrum of the spherical core/shell structure is different from the peak structure in the XRD structure of the seeded nanostructure embedding the spherical core/shell structure. 
     
     
         3 . The nanostructure according to  claim 1 , wherein the material of said elongated structure and the material of said spherical core/shell structure is selected, independently, amongst semiconductor materials. 
     
     
         4 . The nanostructure according to  claim 1 , wherein the spherical core/shell structure is positioned concentrically or non-concentrically within the elongated structure. 
     
     
         5 . The nanostructure according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the elongated structure comprises a first material,   the core of the spherical core/shell structure comprises a second material,   at least one shell of the spherical core/shell structure independently comprises a further material, and   each of said first, second, and further materials is selected such that adjacent materials are different from each other.   
     
     
         6 . The nanostructure according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one shell material is selected to have a polymorphic crystal form to enable anisotropic growth thereonto. 
     
     
         7 . The nanostructure according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the material enabling anisotropic growth has a cubic or a non-cubic crystal structure, and   the non-cubic structure is selected from the group consisting of hexagonal, monoclinic, orthorhombic, rhombohedral, and tetragonal crystal structure.   
     
     
         8 . The nanostructure according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the first, the second, and the further materials is independently selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, insulators, and semiconducting materials. 
     
     
         9 . The nanostructure according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the first, the second, and the further materials comprises an element of Group IIIB, IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IB, IIB, IIIA, IVA or VA of block d of the Periodic Table of the Elements. 
     
     
         10 . The nanostructure according to  claim 9 , wherein each of the first, the second, and the further materials comprises a Group III-V semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of InAs, InP, InN, GaN, InSb, InAsP, InGaAs, GaAs, GaP, GaSb, AlP, AIN, AlAs, AlSb, CdSeTe, ZnCdSe, CdSe, CdS and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The nanostructure according to  claim 1 , being selected from the group consisting of InAs/CdSe/CdS, InP/ZnTe/ZnS, InP/ZnSe/ZnTe, InP/ZnSe/CdS, InP/ZnSe/ZnS, ZnTe/ZnSe/ZnS, ZnSe/ZnTe/ZnS, ZnSeTe/ZnTe/ZnS, CdSe/CdS Se/CdS, CdSe/CdS/CdZnS, CdSe/CdZnSe/CdZnS, and CdSe/CdZnS/ZnS. 
     
     
         12 . The nanostructure according to  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material is a Group III-V material selected from the group consisting of InAs, InP, InN, GaN, InSb, InAsP, InGaAs, GaAs, GaP, GaSb, AlP, AIN, AlAs, AlSb, CdSeTe, ZnCdSe, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A process for manufacturing the seeded rod nanostructure according to  claim 1 , the process comprising contacting the spherical core/shell structure in solution with at least one precursor of the material of the elongated structure under conditions permitting elongated growth of said elongated structure material onto a surface of the spherical core/shell structure to thereby obtain the seeded rod nanostructure. 
     
     
         14 . A device comprising the nanostructure according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A seeded rod (SR) nanostructure comprising an elongated structure embedding a single spherical core/shell structure, wherein the nanostructure is selected from the group consisting of InAs/CdSe/CdS, InP/ZnTe/ZnS, InP/ZnSe/ZnTe, InP/ZnSe/CdS, InP/ZnSe/ZnS, ZnTe/ZnSe/ZnS, ZnSe/ZnTe/ZnS, ZnSeTe/ZnTe/ZnS, CdSe/CdS Se/CdS, CdSe/CdS/CdZnS, CdSe/CdZnSe/CdZnS, and CdSe/CdZnS/ZnS. 
     
     
         16 . The nanostructure according to  claim 1 , wherein the spherical core/shell structure is selected from the group consisting of InAs/CdSe, InP/ZnTe, InP/ZnSe, ZnTe/ZnSe, ZnSe/ZnTe, ZnSeTe/ZnTe, CdSe/CdSSe, CdSe/CdS, CdSe/CdZnSe, and CdSe/CdZnS. 
     
     
         17 . The nanostructure according to  claim 1 , wherein the elongated structure is of a material selected from the group consisting of CdS, ZnS, ZnTe, CdS, and CdZnS. 
     
     
         18 . The nanostructure according to  claim 1 , wherein the spherical core/shell structure comprises a single shell or multiple shells, wherein each of the multiple shells is different from any shell adjacent thereto.