title: The role of ligands in determining the exciton relaxation dynamics in semiconductor quantum dots.
abstract: This article reviews the mechanisms through which molecules adsorbed to the surfaces of semiconductor nanocrystals, quantum dots (QDs), influence the pathways for and dynamics of intra- and interband exciton relaxation in these nanostructures. In many cases, the surface chemistry of the QDs determines the competition between Auger relaxation and electronic-to-vibrational energy transfer in the intraband cooling of hot carriers, and between electron or hole-trapping processes and radiative recombination in relaxation of band-edge excitons. The latter competition determines the photoluminescence quantum yield of the nanocrystals, which is predictable through a set of mostly phenomenological models that link the surface coverage of ligands with specific chemical properties to the rate constants for nonradiative exciton decay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113; email: e-weiss@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Cass
authors.forename: Rachel D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Kedy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Edme
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D004583:Electrons; D008024:Ligands; D049449:Luminescence; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D012666:Semiconductors; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands