Colloidal Semiconductor Cadmium Chalcogenide Nanorods and Nanoplatelets: Growth, Optical Anisotropy and Directed Assembly

Colloidal anisotropic semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), including nanorods (NRs) and nanoplatelets (NPLs), have garnered significant attention in nanotechnology due to their unique optical and electronic properties, which arise from their anisotropic geometries. This review delves into the anisotropic growth mechanisms, optical polarization characteristics, and directed assembly techniques of cadmium chalcogenide NRs and NPLs. It highlights how the anisotropic growth imparts distinct electronic and optical behaviors—NRs exhibit remarkable emission polarization influenced by aspect ratio and core/shell structures, while NPLs demonstrate highly directed emission due to quantum and dielectric confinements in the thickness. The review also explores state-of-the-art methods for large-scale alignment using organic mediators, emphasizing their potential to enhance the performance and application of the anisotropic semiconductor NCs in cutting-edge technologies.