@article{344, abstract = {Copper-based selenides are attracting increasing interest due to their outstanding optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties. Herein a novel colloidal synthetic route to prepare Cu2SnSe3 nanocrystals with controlled size, shape and composition is presented. The high yield of the developed procedure allowed its up-scaling to the production of grams of colloidal Cu2SnSe3 nanocrystals. These nanocrystals were used as building blocks for the production of Cu2SnSe3 bulk nanostructured materials by spark plasma sintering. The thermoelectric properties of the prepared nanocrystalline Cu2SnSe3 pellets were characterized in the temperature range from 300 to 720 K. The obtained results show the bottom-up production of nanocrystalline materials from solution-processed nanocrystals to be a potentially advantageous alternative to conventional methods of production of efficient thermoelectric materials.}, author = {Ibáñez, Maria and Cadavid, Doris and Anselmi Tamburini, Umberto and Zamani, Reza and Gorsse, Stéphane and Li, Wenhua and López, Antonio and Morante, Joan and Arbiol, Jordi and Cabot, Andreu}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, number = {4}, pages = {1421 -- 1426}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, title = {{Colloidal synthesis and thermoelectric properties of Cu 2SnSe3 nanocrystals}}, doi = {10.1039/C2TA00419D}, volume = {1}, year = {2013}, } @article{351, abstract = {A multistrategy approach to overcome the main challenges of nanoparticle-based solution-processed Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin film solar cells is presented. We developed an efficient ligand exchange strategy, using an antimony salt, to displace organic ligands from the surface of Cu 2ZnSnS4 nanoparticles. An automated pulsed spray-deposition system was used to deposit the nanoparticles into homogeneous and crack-free films with controlled thickness. After annealing the film in a Se-rich atmosphere, carbon-free and crystalline Cu2ZnSnSe4 absorber layers were obtained. Not only was crystallization promoted by the complete removal of organics, but also Sb itself played a critical role. The Sb-assisted crystal growth is associated with the formation of a Sb-based compound at the grain boundaries, which locally reduces the melting point, thus promoting the film diffusion-limited crystallization. }, author = {Carrete, Alex and Shavel, Alexey and Fontané, Xavier and Montserrat, Joana and Fan, Jiandong and Ibáñez, Maria and Saucedo, Edgardo and Pérez Rodríguez, Alejandro and Cabot, Andreu}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, number = {43}, pages = {15982 -- 15985}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Antimony-based ligand exchange to promote crystallization in spray-deposited Cu2ZnSnSe4 solar cells}}, doi = {10.1021/ja4068639}, volume = {135}, year = {2013}, } @article{352, abstract = {The presence of organic ligands on the surface of colloidal nanoparticles strongly limits their performance in technological applications where charge carrier transfer/transport plays an important role. We use metal salts, matched with the nanoparticle composition, to eliminate the surface organic ligands without introducing extrinsic impurities in the final nanomaterial. The potential of the simple, general and scalable processes presented here is demonstrated by characterizing the thermoelectric properties of nanostructured Ag2Te produced by the bottom up assembly of Ag2Te nanocrystals. A 6-fold increase of the thermoelectric figure of merit of Ag2Te was obtained when organic ligands were displaced by AgNO3. The same procedure can enhance the performance of nanocrystals and nanocrystal-based devices in a broad range of applications, from photovoltaics and thermoelectrics to catalysis.}, author = {Cadavid, Doris and Ibáñez, Maria and Shavel, Alexey and Durá, Oscar and López De La Torre, Marco and Cabot, Andreu}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, number = {15}, pages = {4864 -- 4870}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, title = {{Organic ligand displacement by metal salts to enhance nanoparticle functionality: Thermoelectric properties of Ag inf 2 inf Te}}, doi = {10.1039/C3TA01455J}, volume = {1}, year = {2013}, } @article{353, abstract = {We report a procedure to prepare highly monodisperse copper telluride nanocubes, nanoplates, and nanorods. The procedure is based on the reaction of a copper salt with trioctylphosphine telluride in the presence of lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and oleylamine. CuTe nanocrystals display a strong near-infrared optical absorption associated with localized surface plasmon resonances. We exploit this plasmon resonance for the design of surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors for unconventional optical probes. Furthermore, we also report here our preliminary analysis of the use of CuTe nanocrystals as cytotoxic and photothermal agents.}, author = {Li, Wenhua and Zamani, Reza and Rivera Gil, Pilar and Pelaz, Beatriz and Ibáñez, Maria and Cadavid, Doris and Shavel, Alexey and Alvarez Puebla, Ramon and Parak, Wolfgang and Arbiol, Jordi and Cabot, Andreu}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, number = {19}, pages = {7098 -- 7101}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{CuTe nanocrystals: Shape and size control, plasmonic properties, and use as SERS probes and photothermal agents}}, doi = {10.1021/ja401428e}, volume = {135}, year = {2013}, } @article{376, abstract = {The compositional versatility of I2–II–IV–VI4 tetrahedrally-coordinated compounds allows for accommodating their functional properties to numerous technological applications. Among them, Cu2ZnSnSe4 is an emerging photovoltaic material and Cu2CdSnSe4 displays excellent thermoelectric properties. The third compound of this family, Cu2HgSnSe4, remains relatively unexplored. Herein, a synthetic route to produce Cu2HgSnSe4 nanoparticles with narrow size distribution and controlled composition is presented. Cu2HgSnSe4 nanoparticles were subsequently used as building blocks to produce bulk nanocrystalline materials, whose thermoelectric properties were analyzed. A very preliminary adjustment of the material composition yielded Seebeck coefficients up to 160 μV K−1, electrical conductivities close to 104 S m−1 and thermal conductivities down to 0.5 W m−1 K−1.}, author = {Li, Wenhua and Ibáñez, Maria and Zamani, Reza and García Castelló, Nuria and Stéphane, Grosse and Cadavid, Doris and Prades, Joan and Arbiol, Jordi and Cabot, Andreu}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, pages = {8966 -- 8971}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, title = {{Cu2HgSnSe4 nanoparticles: synthesis and thermoelectric properties}}, doi = {10.1039/C3CE41583J}, volume = {44}, year = {2013}, } @article{378, abstract = {Until recently, to prepare nanocrystals of a new material, scientists searched their shelves for the appropriate molecular precursors, surfactants, and solvents. They then optimized the reaction conditions for the atoms to self-assemble into monodisperse nanocrystals (1). This approach is being replaced by a simpler strategy, in which preformed nanocrystals serve as templates to produce nanoparticles with a different composition through chemical transformation. On page 964 of this issue, Oh et al. (2) report a powerful mechanism that allows the composition of oxide nanoparticles to be transformed in solution and at low temperatures.}, author = {Ibáñez, Maria and Cabot, Andreu}, journal = {Science}, number = {6135}, pages = {935 -- 936}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{All change for nanocrystals}}, doi = {10.1126/science.1239221}, volume = {340}, year = {2013}, } @article{450, abstract = {Understanding the relative importance of heterosis and outbreeding depression over multiple generations is a key question in evolutionary biology and is essential for identifying appropriate genetic sources for population and ecosystem restoration. Here we use 2455 experimental crosses between 12 population pairs of the rare perennial plant Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides (Asteraceae) to investigate the multi-generational (F1, F2, F3) fitness outcomes of inter-population hybridization. We detected no evidence of outbreeding depression, with inter-population hybrids and backcrosses showing either similar fitness or significant heterosis for fitness components across the three generations. Variation in heterosis among population pairs was best explained by characteristics of the foreign source or home population, and was greatest when the source population was large, with high genetic diversity and low inbreeding, and the home population was small and inbred. Our results indicate that the primary consideration for maximizing progeny fitness following population augmentation or restoration is the use of seed from large, genetically diverse populations.}, author = {Pickup, Melinda and Field, David and Rowell, David and Young, Andrew}, journal = {Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences}, number = {1750}, publisher = {Royal Society, The}, title = {{Source population characteristics affect heterosis following genetic rescue of fragmented plant populations}}, doi = {10.1098/rspb.2012.2058}, volume = {280}, year = {2013}, }