Structure and vacancy distribution in copper telluride nanoparticles influence plasmonic activity in the near-infrared.

ABSTRACT: Copper chalcogenides find applications in different domains including photonics, photothermal therapy and photovoltaics. CuTe nanocrystals have been proposed as an alternative to noble metal particles for plasmonics. Although it is known that deviations from stoichiometry are a prerequisite for plasmonic activity in the near-infrared, an accurate description of the material and its (optical) properties is hindered by an insufficient understanding of the atomic structure and the influence of defects, especially for materials in their nanocrystalline form. We demonstrate that the structure of Cu_1.5±xTe nanocrystals can be determined using electron diffraction tomography. Real-space high-resolution electron tomography directly reveals the three-dimensional distribution of vacancies

SUBMITTER: Willhammar T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5379103 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature