Size-dependent properties of CdSe quantum dots

Temperature dependences of the magnetic susceptibility χ and heat capacity Cp of CdSe quantum dots with size d=2.8, 4.1, and 5.6 nm are compared to those of bulk CdSe to determine the size-dependent effects. With decreasing size d, the following effects are observed: (i) room temperature optical absorption shows a blueshift of the band gap; (ii) room temperature x-ray diffraction show wurtzite structure but with smaller lattice constants; (iii) magnetic susceptibility changes from negative (diamagnetic) for the bulk to positive χ with magnitude increasing with decreasing d; and (iv) the Sommerfeld constant γ determined from the Cp T vs T2 data increases. Possible explanations for these size-dependent properties are presented.