Synthesis of Ultrasmall and Magic-Sized CdSe Nanocrystals

Nanocrystals exhibit useful properties not found in their bulk counterparts; however, a subclass of nanocrystals that consist of diameters on the order of 2 nm or less further exhibit unique properties. As synthetic methodologies of nanocrystals have matured, greater emphasis has been made on controlling the early stages of the reaction in order to gain access to these sub-2 nm species. This review provides an overview of ultrasmall and magic-sized nanocrystals, and the diverse chemical means to obtain them. Due to their small size and their resultant properties, these ultrasmall and magic-sized nanocrystals have a distinct advantage in many applications including achieving renal clearance for the purpose of biological imaging, producing simple and high-quality white LEDs, and controlling the growth of nanocrystals to produce various morphologies.