In-situ microfluidic studies of bi-phasic nanocrystal ligand exchange reaction using oscillatory flow reactor

Oscillatory flow reactors provide a surface energy-driven approach for automatically screening reaction conditions and studying reaction mechanisms of bi-phasic nanocrystal ligand exchange reactions. Sulfide and cysteine ligand exchange reactions with as-synthesized CdSe quantum dots (QDs) are chosen as two model reactions. Different reaction variables including the new-ligand-to-QD ratio, the size of the particles, and the original ligand type are examined systematically. Based on the in-situ obtained UV-Vis absorption spectra during the reaction, we propose two different exchange pathways for the sulfide exchange reaction.