ABSTRACT
This chapter concentrates on the electrical properties of nanocrystals. It describes the processes by which electrons may be injected into nanocrystals, transported between nanocrystals and transferred between nanocrystals and organic molecules, and outlines the potential applications of nanocrystals in electronic and optoelectronic devices. In a nanocrystal, the electronic states are typically confined within the nanocrystal by significant potential barriers. Transport between nanocrystals can therefore be considered as a problem of hopping between localized states. One of the major motivations for the study of nanocrystals is the possibility that they may be useful in device applications. The chapter discusses the operation of LEDs and photovoltaics and examines photoexcited charge transfer between conjugated polymers (or other organic molecules) and semiconductor nanocrystals together with recombination at the nanocrystal/polymer interface. It also discusses charge injection at metal electrodes, carrier transport between nanocrystals, and charge trapping in nanocrystalline films.
