Role of electron confinement in the formation of Tamm surface levels in nanoparticles

Abstract

We study the effect of electron confinement in a nanoparticle on the parameters of Tamm's levels. It is shown using the combination of the Tamm model and the Kronig-Penney model that an increase in the gap width in the electron spectrum of the crystal leads to an increase in the energy of the Tamm state and a decrease in the degree of localization of the wavefunction of the Tamm state. Some applications of the results on the properties of the Tamm level (e.g., the effect on the surface tension of a nanocluster, the manifestation of modifications considered here in the multiple exciton generation effect in quantum dots, the possible role of the shape of a nanoparticle during its growth, and the role of varying Tamm states in catalysis by nanopar� ticles) are indicated.