Proton Shuttle-Assisted Surface Reconstruction toward Nonpolar Facets-Terminated Zinc-Blende CdSe/CdS Core/Shell Quantum Dots.

Surface reconstruction can rearrange the surface atoms of a crystal without the need of growth processes and has the potential to synthesize crystals with novel morphologies and facets that cannot be obtained through regular synthesis. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of the surface reconstruction process. Here, utilizing surface reconstruction, we report the synthesis of nonpolar facets (110) facets)-terminated dodecahedral zinc-blende CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots. The morphology transformation is achieved by first fully exchanging the cadmium carboxylate ligand with oleylamine and then undergoing surface reconstruction. The surface reconstruction-induced morphology transformation is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and absorption spectroscopy. Details of kinetic experiments and simulation results demonstrated that successful surface reconstruction must be assisted by a proton shuttle. Except for the first report on zinc-blende quantum dots terminated with (110) facets, the surface reconstruction aided by the proton shuttle offers valuable insights for devising methods to regulate the properties of nanocrystals.