US 12,252,811 B2
Method for controlled growth of nanocrystals
Chad A. Mirkin, Wilmette, IL (US); Yuanwei Li, Evanston, IL (US); Haixin Lin, Evanston, IL (US); and Wenjie Zhou, Evanston, IL (US)
Assigned to NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, Evanston, IL (US)
Appl. No. 18/024,317
Filed by NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, Evanston, IL (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 8, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/049443
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 2, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/066413, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 31, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/706,796, filed on Sep. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0313412 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. C30B 29/02 (2006.01); C30B 29/52 (2006.01); C30B 29/60 (2006.01); B82Y 30/00 (2011.01); B82Y 40/00 (2011.01)
CPC C30B 29/60 (2013.01) [C30B 29/02 (2013.01); C30B 29/52 (2013.01); B82Y 30/00 (2013.01); B82Y 40/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of site-selective growth of nanocrystals on an anisotropic seed;
functionalizing the anisotropic seed with a ligand, wherein the anisotropic seed has at least two regions, wherein the at least two regions have different curvatures and/or are facets of different crystallographic planes, the ligand attaches to the anisotropic seed in the at least two regions, thereby resulting in a functionalized seed having at least two different energy barriers for subsequent growth at the at least two regions;
selecting at least one of the at least two regions for site-selective growth, wherein the at least one selected region has a selected region energy barrier;
admixing a nanocrystal precursor, a complexing agent, and a reducing agent to form a growth solution, wherein an amount of the reducing agent and/or an amount of the complexing agent is selected to define a supersaturation of the growth solution that is sufficient for overcoming the at least one selected region energy barrier; and
immersing the functionalized seed in the growth solution under conditions for site-selectively growth the nanocrystal at the at least one selected region.