Semiconductors with tunable optoelectronic properties, including band gap energy, are a target materials system for a broad range of device applications. The materials science of nanostructures exhibiting quantum confinement in zero, one, and two dimensions is a rapidly emerging scientific field that, paired with the potential for scalable solution-based manufacturing, can address this goal. The variety of theoretical, design, and synthetic approaches to confining semiconductors represents an innovative area of materials science combining engineering, chemistry, and physics techniques.

The focus of this symposium is on the science and engineering of quantum confined nanostructures for various key applications including solar cells, photodetectors, functional conductors, light-emitting devices and bio-integrated electronics. The intent is to present recent insights and future ideas for realizing quantum confinement in emerging materials systems such as organic semiconductors and perovskites, as well as in classic inorganic II-VI and III-V systems. Applications should be oriented towards optoelectronic devices which benefit from utilizing quantum-confined states. Specifically, the symposium will cover nanostructures including quantum dots; nano-rods, nano-wires and related 1-D nanostructures; as well as 2-D systems, with a major focus on solution-based emerging materials.