Lateral patterning of luminescent CdSe nanocrystals by selective dewetting from self-assembled organic templates

We present a simple nonlithographic approach to arrange luminescent CdSe and core/shell CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals into large area periodic lateral patterns. Selective deposition onto organic channel-like templates fabricated by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique is achieved by anisotropic dewetting of the nanocrystal carrier solvent. Lateral patterning over large areas of several square centimeters is demonstrated on a time scale of a few minutes. The filling fraction of nanocrystals within the deposited channels is controlled by their concentration in solution as well as the deposition time. Prolonged growth leads to the formation of island-like aggregates or almost continuous lines. Nanocrystals preserve their strong luminescence when deposited into channels, which makes the fabricated periodic structures promising for optoelectronic applications.