Material characterization of a nanocrystal based photovoltaic device

Nanocomposites have shown promise as the active layer for photovoltaic energy conversion. One example is the CdSe nanocrystal \polymer composite demonstrated by Hyunh and Greenham [#!Ref1!#,#!Ref2!#]. In this paper we investigate the baseline properties of the materials used in such a device. We present surface chemical information for CdSe nanocrystals and chemical analysis for poly-(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) polymer. Received 30 November 2000     

Optical spectroscopy of MgNb2O6 and ZnNb2O6 doped with Ni2+

Published in Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 62, No. 4, pp. 30–37, July–August, 1995.     

Synthesis, Surface Studies, Composition and Structural Characterization of CdSe, Core/Shell, and Biologically Active Nanocrystals

Nanostructures, with their very large surface to volume ratio and their non-planar geometry, present an important challenge to surface scientists. New issues arise as to surface characterization, quantification and interface formation. This review summarizes the current state of the art in the synthesis, composition, surface and interface control of CdSe nanocrystal systems, one of the most studied and useful nanostructures.     

Extracting embedded generalized networks from linear programming problems

If a linear program (LP) possesses a large generalized network (GN) submatrix, this structure can be exploited to decrease solution time. The problems of finding maximum sets of GN constraints and finding maximum embedded GN submatrices are shown to be NP-complete, indicating that reliable, efficient solution of these problems is difficult. Therefore, efficient heuristic algorithms are developed for identifying such structure and are tested on a selection of twenty-three real-world problems. The best of four algorithms for identifying GN constraint sets finds a set which is maximum in twelve cases and averages 99.1% of maximum. On average, the GN constraints identified comprise more than 62.3% of the total constraints in these problems. The algorithm for identifying embedded GN submatrices finds submatrices whose sizes, rows plus columns, average 96.8% of an LP upper bound. Over 91.3% of the total constraint matrix was identified as a GN submatrix in these problems, on average.The act of being wise is the act of knowing what to overlook.William James (ca. 1890)     

Homogeneously alloyed CdSxSe1-x nanocrystals: synthesis, characterization, and composition/size-dependent band gap

Alloy nanocrystals provide an additional degree of freedom in selecting desirable properties for nanoscale engineering because their physical and optical properties depend on both size and composition. We report the pyrolytic synthesis of homogeneously alloyed CdS(x)Se(1-x) nanocrystals in all proportions. The nanocrystals are characterized using UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractrometry, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry to determine precisely structure, size, and composition. The dependence of band gap on nanocrystal size and composition is elucidated, yielding a bowing constant of 0.29, in agreement with bulk values. In addition, the morphology of the resultant nanocrystals can be altered by changing the reaction conditions, generating structures ranging from homogeneous, spherical nanocrystals to one-dimensional gradient nanorods.