Research Interests:
Our research is centered around the chemistry, physics, and material science of inorganic nanostructures. Leveraging our expertise in synthesis, self-assembly, and physical chemistry, our team strives to develop novel materials for applications in optoelectronics, energy storage, and catalysis.
We work with chemical systems that defy easy classification as crystalline or molecular, organic or inorganic. For example, we are advancing the methodology for colloidal synthesis of functional inorganic nanostructures, which has evolved into a distinct branch of synthetic chemistry. Originally focused on the preparation of simple spherical nanoparticles, this field has evolved towards increasingly intricate structures, providing precise control over the composition, size, shape, and connectivity of various components within a multicomponent structure. Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) represent another unique playground for chemists and materials engineers. MXenes integrate solid-state, surface, and molecular chemistry to enable material properties that are challenging to achieve within individual chemistry subfields.
Inspired by the way most solids form in nature, with individual atoms or molecules self-assembling into rigid, highly uniform arrays, we investigate the assembly of nanocrystals and MXenes into ordered superstructures. Assembling nanoscale functional building blocks offers a powerful modular approach to designing novel materials and 'metamaterials' with programmable physical and chemical properties.
Nanocrystal superlattices constitute a novel category of condensed matter, drawing properties from both the individual nanocrystals and the collective phenomena arising from interactions among the superlattice building blocks. Our research explores the fundamental aspects of self-assembly phenomena, as well as the electronic and optical properties of these structures. The knowledge gained from our fundamental studies on nanocrystals and MXenes contributes to the development of practical solution-processed optoelectronic devices and new methods for additive device integration, such as direct optical lithography of functional inorganic nanomaterials (aka DOLFIN).
Selected References
C. Zhou, D. Wang, F. Lagunas, B. Atterberry, M. Lei, H. Hu, Z. Zhou, A. S. Filatov, D.-e. Jiang, A. J. Rossini, R. F. Klie, D. V. Talapin. Hybrid organic-inorganic two-dimensional metal carbide MXenes with amido- and imido-terminated surfaces. Nature Chemistry (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-023-01288-w
D. Wang, C. Zhou, A. S. Filatov, W. Cho, F. Lagunas, M. Wang, S. Vaikuntanathan, C. Liu, R. F. Klie, D. V. Talapin. Direct synthesis and chemical vapor deposition of 2D carbide and nitride MXenes. Science, 379, 1242-1247 (2023).
I. Coropceanu, E. M. Janke, J. Portner, D. Haubold, T. D. Nguyen, A. Das, C. Tanner, J. K. Utterback, S. Teitelbaum, M. Hudson, N. Sarma, A. M. Hinkle, C. Tassone, A. Eychmüller, D. Limmer, M. Olvera de la Cruz, N. Ginsberg, D. V. Talapin. Self-assembly of nanocrystals into strongly electronically coupled all-inorganic supercrystals. Science 375, 1422-1426 (2022).
V. Kamysbayev, A. S. Filatov, H. Hu, X. Rui, F. Lagunas, Di Wang, R. F. Klie, D. V. Talapin. Covalent surface modifications and superconductivity of two-dimensional metal carbide MXenes. Science 369, 979-983 (2020).
Y. Wang, I. Fedin, H. Zhang, and D. V. Talapin. Direct Optical Lithography of Functional Inorganic Nanomaterials. Science 357, 385–388 (2017).
H. Zhang, K. Dasbiswas, N. B. Ludwig, G. Han, B. Lee, S. Vaikuntanathan, D. V. Talapin. Stable colloids in molten inorganic salts. Nature 542, 328–331 (2017).
C. R. Kagan, E. Lifshitz, E. H. Sargent, D. V. Talapin. Building Devices from Colloidal Quantum Dots. Science 353, 885 (2016).
M. Boles, M. Engel, D. Talapin. Self-assembly of colloidal nanocrystals: from intricate structures to functional materials. Chem. Rev. 2016 116, 11220 (2016).
M. A. Boles, D. Ling, T. Hyeon, D. V. Talapin. The surface science of nanocrystals. Nature Mater. 15, 141 (2016).
D. S. Dolzhnikov, H. Zhang, J. Jang, J. S. Son, M. G. Panthani, S. Chattopadhyay, T. Shibata, D. V. Talapin. Composition-matched molecular “solders” for semiconductors. Science 347, 425 (2015).
J.-S. Lee, M. V. Kovalenko, J. Huang, D.-S. Chung, D. V. Talapin. Band-like Transport, High Electron Mobility and High Photoconductivity in All-inorganic Nanocrystal Arrays. Nature Nanotech, 6, 348 (2011).
D. V. Talapin, J.-S. Lee, M. V. Kovalenko, E. V. Shevchenko, Prospects of Nanocrystal Solids as Electronic and Optoelectronic Materials. Chem. Rev. 110, 389 (2010).
M. V. Kovalenko, M. Scheele, D. V. Talapin. "Colloidal Nanocrystals with Molecular Metal Chalcogenide Surface Ligands." Science 324, 1417 (2009).
D. V. Talapin, E. V. Shevchenko, M. I. Bodnarchuk, X. Ye, J. Chen, C. B. Murray. "Quasicrystalline Order in Self-assembled Binary Nanoparticle Superlattices." Nature 461, 964 (2009).