title: Size-dependent second virial coefficients of quantum dots from quantitative cryogenic electron microscopy.
abstract: Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) is utilized to determine the second virial coefficient of osmotic pressure of PbSe quantum dots (QDs) dispersed in apolar liquid. Cryo-TEM images from vitrified samples provide snapshots of the equilibrium distribution of the particles. These snapshots yield radial distribution functions from which second virial coefficients are calculated, which agree with second virial coefficients determined with analytical centrifugation and small-angle X-ray scattering. The size dependence of the second virial coefficient points to an interparticle interaction that is proportional to the QD surface area. A plausible cause for this attraction is the interaction between the surface ions on adjacent QDs.
authors.affiliation: Van 't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute, Utrecht University , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Rijssel
authors.forename: V F D
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Meeldijk
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kortschot
authors.forename: R J A
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Dijk-Moes
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Petukhov
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Erné
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Philipse