The Advanced Materials Program in the Chemistry Division supports this award to University of Arkansas to study the basic mechanism and method of nanoparticle crystal growth using size- and shape-dependent optical properties of these nano-particles. With this award, Professor Xiaogang Peng will develop green chemistry-based methods for the large scale synthesis of nano-sized cadmium selenide crystals from the less toxic precursor cadmium oxide, and these methods will be quite different from the presently used methods with precursor dimethyl cadmium, which is toxic, unstable and expensive. The award will help to develop new methods for the large-scale synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals of uniform size and shape for applications in electrooptic devices. Both graduate and undergraduate students will greatly benefit from the training and research opportunities provided by this award in materials chemistry.
With this award, nanoparticle crystal growth will be studied using size- and shape-dependent optical properties of these crystals. Nano-sized cadmium selenide crystal will be prepared in large scale using cadmium oxide as the precursor. This green chemistry-based method will be cost effective, and used less toxic and much more stable precursor. Both graduate and undergraduate students will greatly benefit from the training and research opportunities provided by this award in nano-crystal growth and characterization.
