Patent ID: 7144458

Claim:
A process for the preparation of monodisperse luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals having detectable properties within a target range, said process comprising: (a) combining nanocrystal-forming reactants comprising (i) a member selected from the group consisting of cadmium salts, zinc salts, cadmium oxide, zinc oxide, organocadmium compounds, and organozinc compounds and (ii) a member selected from the group consisting of an elemental chalcogen and a chalcogen-containing compound, with a solvent and a reaction promoter to form a solution; (b) continuously passing said solution at a selected flow rate through a thermally conductive reaction tube that is maintained at a temperature sufficiently high to initiate a reaction among said reactants, thereby producing a product mixture containing nanocrystals; (c) monitoring said product mixture to detect properties of said nanocrystals that are indicative of the degree to which said nanocrystals possess desired characteristics; and (d) comparing the value of said properties thus detected with said target range and adjusting either the temperature of said reaction tube, the flow rate of said solution, or both, if needed to correct any deviation between said value of said detected properties and said target range.