Quantifying Angular Correlations between the Atomic Lattice and Superlattice of Nanocrystals Assembled with Directional Linking

Abstract

We show that the combination of X-ray scattering with a nanofocused beam and X-ray cross correlation analysis is an efficient means for the full structural characterization of mesocrystalline nanoparticle assemblies with a single experiment. We analyze several hundred diffraction patterns of individual sample locations, i.e. individual grains, to obtain a meaningful statistical distribution of the superlattice and atomic lattice ordering. Simultaneous small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering of the same sample location allows us to determine the structure and orientation of the superlattice as well as the angular correlation of the first two Bragg peaks of the atomic lattices, their orientation with respect to the superlattice, and the average orientational misfit due to local structural disorder. This experiment is particularly advantageous for synthetic mesocrystals made by the simultaneous self-assembly of colloidal nanocrystals and surface-functionalization with conductive ligands. While the structural characterization of such materials has been challenging so far, the present method now allows correlating mesocrystalline structure with optoelectronic properties.

arXiv comment21 page, 5 figures, 11 pages supplemental information containing 3 figures

References in corpus (6)

• High-mobility transport anisotropy and linear dichroism in few-layer black phosphorus
• Ultra-thin PbS sheets by two-dimensional oriented attachment
• X-ray cross-correlation analysis and local symmetries of disordered systems. I. General theory
• Order/disorder dynamics in a dodecanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles supracrystal by small-angle ultrafast electron diffraction
• Virtually Bare Nanocrystal Surfaces - Significantly Enhanced Electrical Transport in CuInSe2 and CuIn(1-x)Ga(x)Se2 Thin Films upon Ligand Exchange with Thermally Degradable 1-Ethyl-5-thiotetrazole
• Local structure of semicrystalline P3HT films probed by nanofocused coherent x-rays

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Charge Transport in Semiconductors Assembled from Nanocrystals
• Spatially resolved fluorescence of caesium lead halide perovskite supercrystals reveals quasi-atomic behavior of nanocrystals
• Angular x-ray cross-correlation analysis (AXCCA): Basic concepts and recent applications to soft matter and nanomaterials
• Ultrafast Structural Dynamics of Photo-Reactions Revealed by Model-Independent X-ray Cross-Correlation Analysis
• Fabrication of nanocrystal superlattice microchannels by soft-lithography for electronic measurements of single crystalline domains
• Structural Study of a Self-Assembled Gold Mesocrystal Grain by Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging