Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Structures of Solids

Structures of Solids

Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...

Metallic Solids

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...

Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Three-dimensional imaging techniques are essential in cell biology, allowing researchers to visualize intricate cellular structures with high resolution. Two prominent methods, Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy (DIC) and Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM), provide distinct advantages for imaging live and thick specimens, respectively.Differential Interference Contrast MicroscopyDIC microscopy enhances contrast in transparent, unstained samples by converting phase...

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...

Atomic Orbitals

Atomic Orbitals

An atomic orbital represents the three-dimensional regions in an atom where an electron has the highest probability to reside. The radial distribution function indicates the total probability of finding an electron within the thin shell at a distance r from the nucleus. The atomic orbitals have distinct shapes which are determined by l, the angular momentum quantum number. The orbitals are often drawn with a boundary surface, enclosing densest regions of the cloud.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Study on three-dimensional stress characteristics and torsional performance of titanium-steel tool joints.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Design principles for π-conjugated hydrogel semiconductors.

Nature materials·2026

Same author

Promoting tissue repair with plant-derived compounds: evidence and mechanisms from zebrafish studies.

Frontiers in nutrition·2026

Same author

Correction: Femtosecond laser direct writing <i>Bombyx mori</i> sericin-based nanocomposites into intrinsically soft wearable micro-/nano-electronics.

Nanoscale·2026

Same author

Pioneering next-generation bioactive materials for endodontics: Insights of mitochondrial biology.

Bioactive materials·2026

Same author

Calcium ion-mediated silk bulk materials with adaptive mechanics and intrinsic osteogenic activity for bone regeneration.

Acta biomaterialia·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Published on: February 4, 2013

Three dimensional hierarchy structures from self-assembly of quantum dots.

Wei-Guo Yao¹, Rui-Zhu Yang, Xin-Miao Zhang

¹Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, Ministry of Education and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China.

Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

|April 2, 2011

Summary

Researchers created a novel 3D hierarchical structure using self-assembling quantum dots (QDs). This transformation from CdTe to CdS QDs yields materials with excellent optical properties.

More Related Videos

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles

Published on: October 16, 2017

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging

Published on: October 9, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Published on: February 4, 2013

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles

Liquid-cell Transmission Electron Microscopy for Tracking Self-assembly of Nanoparticles

Published on: October 16, 2017

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging

Compact Quantum Dots for Single-molecule Imaging

Published on: October 9, 2012

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Chemistry

Background:

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanoparticles with size-dependent optical and electronic properties.
Self-assembly offers a pathway to create complex nanostructures from individual QDs.
Controlling chemical transformations in QD systems is crucial for tuning their properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To report the first example of a 3D hierarchical structure formed by self-assembly of water-soluble QDs.
To investigate the morphological and chemical transformations of QDs under specific chemical conditions.
To evaluate the optical properties of the resulting 3D hierarchical CdS QD structures.

Main Methods:

Utilized L-cysteine-stabilized Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) quantum dots.
Introduced ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, dipotassium salt dehydrate (EDTA) to induce chemical reaction and self-assembly.
Characterized the morphology using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Analyzed elemental composition with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).
Assessed optical properties via photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).

Main Results:

Observed a color change and precipitation upon addition of EDTA to CdTe QD solution.
Morphological transformation from zero-dimensional (0D) QDs to two-dimensional (2D) nanoflakes and finally to three-dimensional (3D) microflowers.
EDX analysis confirmed the conversion from CdTe to Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) QDs.
The 3D hierarchical CdS QD structures exhibited good photoluminescence properties.

Conclusions:

Successfully demonstrated the formation of a 3D hierarchical structure from self-assembling QDs through controlled chemical reactions.
The chemical transformation from CdTe to CdS, induced by EDTA, is key to the observed morphological changes.
The resulting 3D hierarchical CdS QDs possess favorable optical characteristics, indicating potential applications in optoelectronics.