By definition Quantum dots are very small semiconductor nanoparticles (usually below 10 nm in size). However, can metals also classify as quantum dots if their size is in the range? Thank you in advance!
Dear Thomas Breuer
Thank you for your quick answer
The intension here is; I have prepared small sized metal nanoparticles for application of catalysis. I am interested to look at the quantum effect of this tiny nanoparticles on my catalytic application. I have tried to see literatures related to small metal nanoparticles and I found that they called them small size rather that quantum dots, although the size lied on the range of quantum dots. My question is, does this small size nanoparticles exhibit quantum size effect? If so how? As quantum dots are considered as semiconductors.
Yes, they can behave like quantum dots.
Specially, ultrasmall/ very tiny nanoparticles. The Quantum Confinement effect depends on the bohr radius of excitons. When the dimension of material is closed to the Bohr radius, the degree of freedom in the material is limited in that axis.
So, if the metal nanoparticles (Ag,Au, Cu, Pt) are small enough let's say few atoms only then they can exhibit quantum properties.
See
https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why_it_is_impossible_to_create_metallic_quantum_dots
Quantum dot is the physicists term of molecule, which is chemists nomenclature.
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