Post by EMAT (Electron Microscopy for Materials Science)

We are excited to share our latest publication in Advanced Materials! 🎉 🧪 “Arm-Length-Controlled CsPbBr₃ Nanocrystals for Tunable Optical and Assembly Behavior” This work was carried out in collaboration with Prof. Sara Bals (University of Antwerp & NANOlight Center of Excellence - UAntwerpen) and Prof. Johan Hofkens (KU Leuven & Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research). In this study, we develop a robust synthetic route for the preparation of uniform arm-structured CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals with precisely controlled arm length. We identify the key synthesis parameters governing the formation of these complex morphologies and explore different strategies to obtain both short- and long-armed nanocrystals. A particularly interesting outcome is that even subtle variations in arm length strongly influence the properties of the nanocrystals. We observe distinct blinking behaviors and markedly different self-assembly motifs depending on the arm length. These effects were further elucidated using 3D TEM tomography, providing deeper insight into their spatial organization. This work highlights how fine control over nanocrystal morphology can translate into tunable optical properties and assembly behavior, opening new perspectives for the design of functional nanomaterials. 👏 Congratulations to the leading author, Irina Skvortsova, and the entire team for this achievement! This work was supported by Research Foundation Flanders - FWO, VLAIO - Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Horizon Europe and KU Leuven research funds. 🔗 Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/eXFxx2FH