The Trouble with ODE: Polymerization during Nanocrystal Synthesis.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31525055.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b03088.
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Abstract
1-Octadecene is a widely used solvent for high-temperature nanocrystal synthesis (120-320 °C). Here, we show that 1-octadecene spontaneously polymerizes under these conditions, and the resulting poly(1-octadecene) has a comparable solubility and size to nanocrystals stabilized by hydrophobic ligands. Typical purification procedures (precipitation/redispersion cycles or size exclusion chromatography) fail to separate the poly(1-octadecene) impurity from the nanocrystal product. To avoid formation of poly(1-octadecene), we replace 1-octadecene with saturated, aliphatic solvents. Alternatively, the nanocrystals' native ligands are exchanged for polar ligands, leading to significant solubility differences between nanocrystals and poly(1-octadecene), therefore allowing isolation of pure nanocrystals, free from polymer impurities. These results will help design superior syntheses and improve nanocrystal purity, an important factor in many applications.