Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 5, 2026

Characterization of Nanocrystal Size Distribution using Raman Spectroscopy with a Multi-particle Phonon Confinement Model
Published on: August 22, 2015
The Complex Interaction of Spectroscopic Shifts and Electronic Properties in Semiconductor Nanocrystal Films
1Chemistry Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, United States.
Abstract:
Absorption spectroscopy has traditionally served as a powerful technique for the study of solution synthesized semiconductor nanocrystals, enabling information on the size, dispersity, concentration, and overall quality of a sample to be obtained quickly and easily. When thin, densely packed films of these materials are produced through ligand exchange, spectroscopic shifts to both higher and lower energy are observed. Reduction of the internanocrystal distance can result in both a change to the overall dielectric constant of the film as well as increased electronic coupling, producing a redshift. At the same time, surface oxidation has the effect of increasing the confinement, producing a blueshift. This Perspective focuses on PbSe, a material of current interest, and the potential for correlating these spectroscopic shifts to optoelectronic properties, highlighting both recent work in the literature and areas in need of additional study.
Related Concept Videos
NMR Spectroscopy: Chemical Shift Overview
For instance, the proton...
¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are...
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Molecular Electronic Transitions
π Electron Effects on Chemical Shift: Overview
π Electron Effects on Chemical Shift: Aromatic and Antiaromatic Compounds
Molecular Spectroscopy: Absorption and Emission

