Search NASA⌕ Search
Home/Archive/DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI · 3398705

Tracking Thermal Transport in Colloidal Quantum Dot Films Using in Situ Time-Resolved X-ray Diffraction

Wieman, Eliza [Middlebury College, VT (United States)]·Nagelj, Nejc [Amherst College, MA (United States)]·Curling, Ethan [University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)]·Chen, Larry [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)]·Yu, Jin [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)]·Alivisatos, A. Paul [University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)]·Lindenberg, Aaron M. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000332337161)·Diroll, Benjamin T. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000334880213)·Olshansky, Jacob H. [Amherst College, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000336581487)·Ma, Jihong [Univ. of Vermont, Burlington, VT (United States)] (ORCID:0000000191428528)·Guzelturk, Burak [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000319776485)·Cotts, Benjamin L. [Middlebury College, VT (United States)] (ORCID:0000000269885762)
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) and their thin films are increasingly used in electronic and photonic devices replacing traditional bulk semiconductors. However, thermal properties of QDs remain underexplored relative to device development efforts. This study shows the use of time-resolved X-ray diffraction as a contact-free method to probe the thermal response of QDs in environments representative of the active layer in QD optoelectronic devices, providing in situ insights for future thermal management strategies. Through the extraction of Debye–Waller factors on a subnanosecond time scale, we directly capture the heating and cooling of core/shell CdSe/CdS QDs following pulsed optical excitation. In a QD thin film that actively provides optical gain, the thermal conductivity is found to be as low as 0.13 W m –1 K –1 , because of the poor heat flow between close-packed QD solids. For QDs dispersed in liquids, interfacial thermal conductance dominates thermal relaxation, with a conductance of 15 MW m –2 K –1 .

Explore related subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGYThermal ConductivityTime-resolved X-ray diffractioncolloidal quantum dotsnanoscale heat dissipationthermal transport

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Wieman, Eliza [Middlebury College, VT (United States)], Nagelj, Nejc [Amherst College, MA (United States)], Curling, Ethan [University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)], Chen, Larry [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)], Yu, Jin [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)], Alivisatos, A. Paul [University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)], Lindenberg, Aaron M. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000332337161), Diroll, Benjamin T. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000334880213), Olshansky, Jacob H. [Amherst College, MA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000336581487), Ma, Jihong [Univ. of Vermont, Burlington, VT (United States)] (ORCID:0000000191428528), Guzelturk, Burak [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000319776485), Cotts, Benjamin L. [Middlebury College, VT (United States)] (ORCID:0000000269885762). 2026-07-30. Tracking Thermal Transport in Colloidal Quantum Dot Films Using in Situ Time-Resolved X-ray Diffraction. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02198

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

DOE OSTI2026

Cyclic moisture reactivation of calcium sorbents for long duration thermochemical energy storage

The transition to a flexible and reliable energy infrastructure, using electro-thermal energy generation technologies such as geothermal, concentrated solar power, and nuclear, usually demands simultaneous advancement of thermal energy storage (TES) to support on-demand electricity generation and industrial applications while mitigating the inherent intermittency of renewable energy sources and power outages from direct energy generation. Among TES technologies, thermochemical energy storage (TCES) based on calcium looping emerges as a compelling high-power energy storage candidate due to its high reaction enthalpy, compatibility with elevated operating temperatures, and abundance of low-cost materials. However, the long-term durability of calcium-based sorbents for TCES is hindered by surface sintering and particle aggregation, leading to performance degradation over repeated thermal cycles. This study explores a moisture hydration-based strategy to regenerate a degraded calcium sorbent and mitigate performance degradation for long duration TCES. The addition of moisture transforms calcium oxide into calcium hydroxide and produces intercalation water layers, associated with a regenerated surface area and reduced calcium oxide crystallite size. Both these effects are beneficial in restoring the sorbents' reactivity for carbonization. Additionally, an optimized hydration-assisted reactivation protocol balances the recovered energy storage capacity with heating penalty required for moisture removal from hydrated samples, resulting in an enhanced energy storage capacity up to 176% compared to benchmark sorbents that undergo cycling without reactivation after 60 cycles. In conclusion, these results highlight the potential of hydration-assisted reactivation to enhance the long-term performance of TCES, providing an effective pathway to advancing electro-thermal storage technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗