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Size‐Dependent Chemistry: Properties of Nanocrystals
Author(s) -
Rao C. N. R.,
Kulkarni G. U.,
Thomas P. John,
Edwards Peter P.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3765(20020104)8:1<28::aid-chem28>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - nanocrystal , nanotechnology , nanoscopic scale , colloid , materials science , electronic structure , semiconductor , metal , chemical physics , chemistry , computational chemistry , optoelectronics , metallurgy
Properties of materials determined by their size are indeed fascinating and form the basis of the emerging area of nanoscience. In this article, we examine the size dependent electronic structure and properties of nanocrystals of semiconductors and metals to illustrate this aspect. We then discuss the chemical reactivity of metal nanocrystals which is strongly dependent on the size not only because of the large surface area but also a result of the significantly different electronic structure of the small nanocrystals. Nanoscale catalysis of gold exemplifies this feature. Size also plays a role in the assembly of nanocrystals into crystalline arrays. While we owe the beginnings of size‐dependent chemistry to the early studies of colloids, recent findings have added a new dimension to the subject.