{
  "abstract": "The functionality of colloidal quantum dots (QDs), whether in fundamental studies, optoelectronics, or emerging quantum technologies, critically depends on their surface chemistry, with organic ligands influencing nearly every aspect of their behavior. Whereas the inorganic core can be comprehensively characterized at atomic resolution, ligands remain dibicult to probe owing to their low atomic contrast and soft, disordered structure. Here, we empower single-particle photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy to resolve ligand conformations at sub-nanometer resolution. Tagging ligand tails with organic dyes enables measuring their distance from the QD via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Single-particle, single-molecule FRET experiments performed on lead halide perovskite QDs reveal nanometer-scale variations in dye-surface distances, both within individual particles (0.81 ± 0.22 nm on average) and between QDs with varied ligand chemistries (from 0.25 nm to 1.02 nm). Supported by atomistic modelling, our experiments tie variations in the local ligand environment to this conformational diversity. A powerful yet accessible spectroscopic method for interrogating the complex surface chemistry of QDs is highly relevant to QD-based optoelectronics, quantum applications, and photocatalysis.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences",
    "ETH Zürich",
    "Laboratory for Thin Films and Photovoltaics",
    "Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Leon G. Feld",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9755-5085"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Oleksandr Kolomiiets"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Noah Shahin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Sebastian Sabisch"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Gabriele Rainò"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Maksym V. Kovalenko"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8nna3s1y54tka.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15008880/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "8nna3s1y54tka",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008880/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2505|Quantum Dots Synthesis And Properties"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213234088",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008880/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-15",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8nna3s1y54tka.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:19Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15008880",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008880/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2505|Quantum Dots Synthesis And Properties",
      "subfield": "materials-polymers"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Single-particle FRET reveals ligand configurations on colloidal perovskite quantum dots",
  "title_text": "Single-particle FRET reveals ligand configurations on colloidal perovskite quantum dots",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:19Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8nna3s1y54tka",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}