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Colloidal quantum dots, with their size-tunable optoelectronic properties and scalable synthesis, enable applications in which inexpensive high-performance semiconductors are needed. Synthesis science breakthroughs have been key to the realization of quantum dot technologies, but important group III–group V semiconductors, including colloidal gallium arsenide (GaAs), still cannot be synthesized with existing approaches. The high-temperature molten salt colloidal synthesis introduced in this work enables the preparation of previously intractable colloidal materials. We directly nucleated and grew colloidal quantum dots in molten inorganic salts by harnessing molten salt redox chemistry and using surfactant additives for nanocrystal shape control. Synthesis temperatures above 425°C are critical for realizing photoluminescent GaAs quantum dots, which emphasizes the importance of high temperatures enabled by molten salt solvents. We generalize the methodology and demonstrate nearly a dozen III-V solid-solution nanocrystal compositions that have not been previously reported. 

The solar generation of H₂in hydrogel materials is controlled by mass-diffusion at a length scale where 3D printing could be used to optimize porosity. 

Hydrogels, known for their mechanical and chemical similarity to biological tissues, are widely used in biotechnologies, whereas semiconductors provide advanced electronic and optoelectronic functionalities such as signal amplification, sensing, and photomodulation. Combining semiconducting properties with hydrogel designs can enhance biointeractive functions and intimacy at biointerfaces, but this is challenging owing to the low hydrophilicity of polymer semiconductors. We developed a solvent affinity–induced assembly method that incorporates water-insoluble polymer semiconductors into double-network hydrogels. These semiconductors exhibited tissue-level moduli as soft as 81 kilopascals, stretchability of 150% strain, and charge-carrier mobility up to 1.4 square centimeters per volt per second. When they are interfaced with biological tissues, their tissue-level modulus enables alleviated immune reactions. The hydrogel’s high porosity enhances molecular interactions at semiconductor-biofluid interfaces, resulting in photomodulation with higher response and volumetric biosensing with higher sensitivity. 

Abstract High quantum yield triplets, populated by initially prepared excited singlets, are desired for various energy conversion schemes in solid working compositions like porous MOFs. However, a large disparity in the distribution of the excitonic center of mass, singlet‐triplet intersystem crossing (ISC) in such assemblies is inhibited, so much so that a carboxy‐coordinated zirconium heavy metal ion cannot effectively facilitate the ISC through spin‐orbit coupling. Circumventing this sluggish ISC, singlet fission (SF) is explored as a viable route to generating triplets in solution‐stable MOFs. Efficient SF is achieved through a high degree of interchromophoric coupling that facilitates electron super‐exchange to generate triplet pairs. Here we show that a predesigned chromophoric linker with extremely poor ISC efficiency (k_ISC) butform triplets in MOF in contrast to the frameworks that are built from linkers with sizablek_ISCbut. This work opens a new photophysical and photochemical avenue in MOF chemistry and utility in energy conversion schemes.