Simple preparation strategy and one-dimensional energy transfer in CdTe nanoparticle chains

One-dimensional aggregates of CdTe nanoparticles were prepared by an exceptionally simple method of self-assembly initiated by partial removal of the stabilizing shell. The driving force of the particle selforganization is likely to be the dipole-dipole attraction between the nanoparticle cores. The obtained nanoparticle chains can be easily transferred on any substrate. Steady-state and time-resolved luminescent spectroscopes revealed strong Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the particles, which led to the miaration of excitation along the chain similarly to the waveguiding of light observed for chains of metal nanoparticles. The efficiency of FRET quenching in this one-dimensional system is comparable to that in three-dimensional packed nanoparticle solids despite a substantially smaller number of adjacent particles. The strong coupling of the donor and acceptor excited states is likely due to short inter-nanoparticle distances and partial ground-state dipole alignment taking place during the chain formation.