Microfluidic Vaterite Synthesis: Approaching the Nanoscale Particles.

The challenge of continuous CaCO3 particle synthesis is addressed using microfluidic technology. A custom microfluidic chip was used to synthesize CaCO3 nanoparticles in vaterite form. Our focus revolved around exploring one-phase and two-phase synthesis methods tailored for the crystallization of these nanoparticles. The combination of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, and small-angle scattering allowed for an evaluation of the synthesis efficiency, including the particle size distribution, morphology, and polymorph composition. The results demonstrated the superior performance of the two-phase system when precipitation occurred inside emulsion microreactors, providing improved size control compared with the one-phase approach. We also discussed insights into particle size changes during the transition from one-phase to two-phase synthesis. The ability to obtain CaCO3 nanoparticles in the desired polymorph form (∼50 nm in size, 86-99% vaterite phase) with the possibility of scaling up the synthesis will open up opportunities for various industrial applications of the developed two-phase microfluidic method.

Ligand-Assisted Formation of Graphene/Quantum Dot Monolayers with Improved Morphological and Electrical Properties.

Hybrid nanomaterials based on graphene and PbS quantum dots (QDs) have demonstrated promising applications in optoelectronics. However, the formation of high-quality large-area hybrid films remains technologically challenging. Here, we demonstrate that ligand-assisted self-organization of covalently bonded PbS QDs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can be utilized for the formation of highly uniform monolayers. After the post-deposition ligand exchange, these films demonstrated high conductivity and photoresponse. The obtained films demonstrate a remarkable improvement in morphology and charge transport compared to those obtained by the spin-coating method. It is expected that these materials might find a range of applications in photovoltaics and optoelectronics.

Photophysical Properties of Multilayer Graphene-Quantum Dots Hybrid Structures.

Photoelectrical and photoluminescent properties of multilayer graphene (MLG)-quantum dots (QD) hybrid structures have been studied. It has been shown that the average rate of transfer from QDs to the MLG can be estimated via photoinduced processes on the QDs' surfaces. A monolayer of CdSe QDs can double the photoresponse amplitude of multilayer graphene, without influencing its characteristic photoresponse time. It has been found that efficient charge or energy transfer from QDs to MLG with a rate higher than 3 × 108 s-1 strongly inhibits photoinduced processes on the QD surfaces and provides photostability for QD-based structures.