Highly luminescent color selective nanocrystalline materials

A method of preparing a monodisperse population of nanocrystals capable of light emission, comprising:

• introducing into a coordinating solvent a plurality of cores, each core including a first semiconductor material, and a precursor capable of thermal conversion into a second semiconductor material, the cores emitting light in a spectral range of no greater than about 60 nm full width half max (FWHM) when irradiated,
• wherein the coordinating solvent is maintained at a temperature sufficient to convert the precursor into the second semiconductor material yet insufficient to substantially alter the monodispersity of the cores,
• wherein the second semiconductor material has a band gap greater than the first semiconductor material, and
• whereby the cores become individually overcoated with the second semiconductor material to form a monodisperse population of nanocrystals.

A method of preparing a monodisperse population of nanocrystals capable of light emission, comprising:

• introducing into a coordinating solvent a plurality of cores, each core including a first semiconductor material, and a precursor capable of thermal conversion into a second semiconductor material, the plurality of cores having diameters having no greater than 10% rms deviation,
• wherein the coordinating solvent is maintained at a temperature sufficient to convert the precursor into the second semiconductor material yet insufficient to substantially alter the dispersity of the cores,
• wherein the second semiconductor material has a band gap greater than the first semiconductor material, and
• whereby the cores become individually overcoated with the second semiconductor material to form a monodisperse population of nanocrystals.

A family of nanocrystal dispersions comprising:

• a first suspension or dispersion of nanocrystals, wherein each nanocrystal in the first suspension or dispersion includes a core including a first semiconductor material and an overcoating including a second semiconductor material deposited on the core;
• and
• a second suspension or dispersion of nanocrystals, wherein each nanocrystal in the second suspension or dispersion includes a core including a third semiconductor material and an overcoating including a fourth semiconductor material deposited on the core,
• wherein the first, second, third and fourth semiconductor materials are each, individually, the same or different,
• wherein the first suspension or dispersion, when irradiated, emits light in a spectral range of no greater than about 60 nm full width at half max (FWHM), the light having a first maximum wavelength of light emission.

A method of making a family of nanocrystal dispersions comprising:

• overcoating a first monodisperse population of nanocrystal cores;
• and
• overcoating a second monodisperse population of nanocrystal cores,
• wherein each monodisperse population of nanocrystal cores, when irradiated, emits light in a spectral range of no greater than about 60 nm full width half max (FWHM), and wherein the first monodisperse population of cores has a maximum wavelength of light emission different from a maximum wavelength of light emission of the second monodisperse population.