1-Octanol Is a Functional Impurity Modifying Particle Size and Photophysical Properties of Colloidal ZnCdSSe/ZnS Nanocrystals

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Impurities in trioctylphophine (TOP) strongly affect nanocrystal synthesis. 1-Octanol among other contaminants in TOP is identified for the first time as a functional impurity by 1 H NMR. The deliberate addition of 1-octanol into trioctylphosphine reduced particle size and modified photophysical properties of ZnCdSSe/ZnS colloidal nanocrystals. NMR analysis furthermore revealed that 1-octanol is bonded to the nanocrystal surfaces. The ratio of integrals for the O–CH 2 protons of 1-octanol, which is the lowest compared to the other ligands, suggests that 1-octanol plays a critical role to tune the particle size of nanocrystals. The increased amount of 1-octanol added into TOP reduces the particle size from 9.8 to 7.2 nm, causing a progressive blue shift in the UV–vis and PL spectra but leaving the alloy composition unaffected. The rate of nonradiative processes is enhanced with the amount of 1-octanol added into TOP, correlating with higher dislocation density observed in the nanocrystals. As a conclusion, 1-octanol is proposed as a functional impurity that varies particle size and nonradiative photophysical processes in the ZnCdSSe/ZnS colloidal nanocrystals.