Research Phase 1

Phase research goal: Maximize solar infrared energy absorption coefficient in nanocrystal thin film architecture. Realized by play of dopant synthetic control in localized surface plasmonic resonant semiconductor nanocrystals. Interparticle plasmonic near-field optimization via dopant spatial distribution and dopant multi-species selection strategy.

Phase 1 milestone involves chemical genesis of infrared active component materials through defect engineering. The first research objective will be in establishing a streamlined nanocrystal synthesis methodology. The second research chapter involves deep materials characterization to extract the basic sciences of newly developed materials. Phase 2 will involve exploring expanded n-type dopants to procreate free electron carriers in maximizing infrared plasmonic absorption cross-section. Synthetic strategies will be employed via multicomponent dopants and core-shell engineering into cost effective thin film fabrication architecture.

Phase 1) Defect Engineered Doped Semiconductor Infrared Plasmonic Nanocrystal Synthesis (2022~2023)

• Quarter 1: Development of nanocrystal building blocks. Doped semiconductor nanocrystal synthesis, especially establish composition, size and shape control and analyze the optical properties of the building blocks through user facilities.

• Quarter 2: Expanded dopant components through strategic selection of atomic defects and complex shape control through faceting agents. Functionalization of ITO nanocrystals with halide facet control compounds.

• Quarter 3: Expand nanocrystal synthesis species library towards binary, trinary, and multicomponent dopant composition nanocrystals. Core-shell nanocrystal synthesis spatial dopant distribution engineering.

• Quarter 4: Materials characterization of synthesized nanocrystals, including infrared optical properties through far-field optical spectrum fitting and analysis.

Phase 2) Shallow Trap Defect Chemistry Materials Control and Film Architecture (2023~2024)

• Quarter 1: Establish user facility materials characterization methods for probing basic defect chemistry. This will include microscopy (SEM, TEM), materials component analysis (EDX, ICP-MS, TOF-SIMS, XPS), structural analysis (XRD, SAXS), and dopant activation (NMR, XANES Pohang Beamline).

• Quarter 2: Fabricate nanocrystal thin film with solar infrared heat property, in-lab absorption characteristics with solar simulator equipment user facility.

• Quarter 3: Establish multi-dopant nanocrystal system analysis, in solution dispersion and film configuration.

• Quarter 4: Inference infrared plasmonic optical properties in a spectrally multicomponent film. Scale-up film field testbed into building and/or electric car thermal environment.