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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Facile Synthesis of Colloidal Lead Halide Perovskite Nanoplatelets via Ligand-Assisted Reprecipitation
Published on: October 1, 2019
Ligand Shell Structure in Lead Sulfide-Oleic Acid Colloidal Quantum Dots Revealed by Small-Angle Scattering
Michael P Weir1, Daniel T W Toolan2, Rachel C Kilbride1
1Department of Physics and Astronomy , The University of Sheffield , Sheffield S3 7RH , United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Nanocrystal quantum dots are generally coated with an organic ligand layer. These layers are a necessary consequence of their chemical synthesis, and in addition they play a key role in controlling the optical and electronic properties of the system. Here we describe a method for quantitative measurement of the ligand layer in 3 nm diameter lead sulfide-oleic acid quantum dots. Complementary small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS and SANS) studies give a complete and quantitative picture of the nanoparticle structure. We find greater-than-monolayer coverage of oleic acid and a significant proportion of ligand remaining in solution, and we demonstrate reversible thermal cycling of the oleic acid coverage. We outline the effectiveness of simple purification procedures with applications in preparing dots for efficient ligand exchange. Our method is transferrable to a wide range of colloidal nanocrystals and ligand chemistries, providing the quantitative means to enable the rational design of ligand-exchange procedures.
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