Surfaces that set the rules

In colloidal metal-halide nanocrystals, the surface is where magic happens. It’s a dynamic boundary between the inorganic core — where electron and hole wavefunctions are confined — and the surrounding medium. Under-coordinated surface atoms sit at higher chemical potential than the bulk, so if passivation is incomplete, the nanocrystal can reconstruct, exchange ions, or even transform. Capping ligands stabilize this boundary and mediate everything from colloidal stability to charge transport and light emission; the way a ligand binds to specific surface sites directly shapes performance.

Metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals are structurally “soft,” with relatively low formation energies and transformation barriers. Their mixed ionic–covalent bonding creates surface chemistries unlike those of conventional semiconductor nanocrystals, making ligand design both essential and non-standard. Zwitterionic and other multidentate ligands, in particular, have emerged as powerful motifs for robust passivation and processing.

We aim to design and study novel ligand–surface interactions to achieve durable, high-performance metal halide nanocrystals — treating surface chemistry as the primary lever for stability and excellent photophysics.

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