Colloidal Transition Metal Chalcogenide Nanosheets and Quantum Dots, a New Class of Nanomaterials, from Synthesis towards Application.

Nanomaterials have attracted tremendous attention in science and technology as their behaviour
is very different from their bulk analogues. While bulk gold is unreactive and reflects light, its
nanoscalar counterpart is reactive and capable of absorbing a significant part of incident light. Tiny
semiconductors crystals, so-called quantum dots, emit light with a color according to their size. A
single layer of carbon atoms – graphene - turns out to be incredibly hard and supreme at
conducting electricity. In simple terms, by scaling down, we can fine-tune material properties
according to our own preferences by changing size and shape. This is appealing in a myriad of
applications which range from displays in cell phones to photovoltaic solar cells on rooftops.
Transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) constitute a novel class of nanomaterials. Similar to
graphene they show extraordinary properties when their thickness is reduced to a single layer of
atoms. They are bright and absorb up to 30% of incident
blue light which makes TMCs very appealing in applications such as LEDs and displays.
However, fine-tuning of their chemical synthesis and physical properties is imperative before they
can be integrated in devices. In this proposal, we aim to develop synthetic strategies and optimize
their properties for facile and cost-efficient integration into thin and flexible opto-electronic
devices, e.g., displays.