Conclusion and outlook

After twenty years of effort to improve their synthesis, nanocrystals have reached a high level of maturity. Their growth is now well mastered in terms of shape and composition, including on complex heterostructures (notably multi-shell cores). Their use has now reached the industrial level, and nanocrystals will be the next generation of fluorophores for displays. Optoelectronics is the next field of application for these materials. This is particularly true for UV and infrared wavelengths, where low-cost alternative technologies are lacking.

Below is a list of the challenges still to be met.

The majority of nanocrystal-based optoelectronic devices are currently used under protective conditions (i.e. vacuum and glovebox). The transition to air requires encapsulation of the nanocrystals by a protective layer. This is an active and difficult...