Surfactant-Assisted Displacement Synthesis of II–VI Semiconductor Nanostructures: Optimization, Mechanisms, and Characterization
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63282/3050-922X.IJERET-V6I1P114Keywords:
II–VI Semiconductor, Nanostructures, Surfactant, Temperature, Nanocrystals, Optical Properties, Surfactant-Assisted SynthesisAbstract
The synthesis of II-VI semiconductor nanostructures under a systematic modification of morphology, size, and functionality, coupled with the assistance of a surfactant, has proved a promising route to the size and shape control of nanocrystals; nevertheless, a dynamic comprehension of the facts and optimization variables has not been established yet. This paper is an effort to tackle this concern by understanding the mechanistic aspect of surfactants in guiding II-VI semiconductor nanostructure growth pathways governed through displacement relying on enhanced structural and optical uniformity considerations. It uses a regulated wet-chemical displacement synthesis technique, where specific molecules of surfactants can regulate the nucleation rates, interface energies and ion exchange dynamics in the formation of nanostructures. The impact of the main synthesis parameters, such as the kind of surfactant, concentration, temperature of the reaction and the stoichiometry of the precursors is thoroughly studied to reach reproducible growth conditions. Enhanced synthesis of nanostructures with elevated phase purity, decreased level of defects, and adjustable morphological features is confirmed by comprehensive structural, morphological, and optical analysis. Relative comparison indicates that growth uniformity, crystallinity, and batch-to-batch reproducibility of surfactant-mediated displacement routes are much better than that of non-assisted displacement routes. These findings can be used mechanistically to study the surfactant-forceful displacement synthesis and establish the optimum processing windows in scalable nanostructure fabrication. On the whole, the present work develops a strong platform of creating quality II-VI nanostructures of semiconductor, enhancing their use in optoelectronic, sensing, and energy-related products.
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