(438e) Studies of Thermal Conductivity in Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Nanocrystal Superlattices

Nanocrystal superlattices (NCSLs) are 3-D arrays of inorganic spheres bridged by self-assembled molecular chains.  NCSL thin films hold promise for thermal management and energy conversion applications as studies have shown that their electronic and thermal transport properties can be decoupled.  This unique feature allows them to be tailored according to the specific needs of the applications (e.g. high figures of merit materials for thermoelectric, high-efficiency photovoltaic materials).  An additional advantage of this material comes from their solution-based fabrication technique which is readily scaled up for large volume and cheaper than conventional nanostructuring methods.

Electronic transport in NCSLs has been studied extensively. Little is known, however, about the nature of thermal transport in these complicated materials.  Both experimental measurements and preliminary modelling work will be presented to elucidate the thermal transport mechanisms in NCSLs.  Several factors affecting the NCSL thermal conductivity including the geometry and chemical compositions of the NCSL, will be shown.