5. Conclusion

Some thirty years after the discovery of quantum confinement in the early 1980s, nanocrystals are now finding commercial outlets, particularly in biology and optoelectronics. According to a study published in April 2014 by Allied Market Research , the global quantum dot market will grow from $316 million in 2013 to more than $5,000 million in 2020, with an annual growth rate of around 30%. While the field of biological imaging is currently the most mature, optoelectronics is expected to see the strongest growth, particularly in display technologies, followed by photovoltaic devices.

Current major challenges in this very active research field include:...