Kaifu’s paper on “Optical properties of PbS nanocrystal quantum dots at ambient and elevated pressure” is accepted in Phys Chem Chem Phys.
We combined X-ray scattering and optical spectroscopy to probe the evolution of structure and electronic properties of PbS nanocrystal quantum dots under elevated pressure. The pressure coefficient of the energy gap provides important insights into the electronic structure of the material. We discovered that the accurate description of the pressure-coefficient of the energy gap must account for the size-dependent bulk modulus of the material. A second important discovery presented in our paper is the disappearance of the excitonic peak as the particles undergo the high-pressure rock-salt to orthorhombic phase transition. The pressure-induced changes in crystal structure and electronic structure are reversible. Taken together, our results provide new insights into the size- and pressure-dependent electronic structure of PbS nanocrystal quantum dots.
Congratulations to Kaifu, Ben, and Hanqing !