How do ligands effect quantum dot growth?

Quantum Dots (QDs) are a class of semiconductor materials with a specific relationship between their size and the light they emit and absorb. Thus, control over the size of these small nanocrystals is vital to their applications in both electronics, for the light they emit, and solar cells, for the light they absorb. In the Kittilstved laboratory, we have investigated the relationship between the growth of ultra-small and magic size QDs and the binding ligand used in the growth to gain a greater understanding of how different ligands affect the growth process and final product.