  Thin films prepared of semiconductor nanoparticles are promising for low-cost
electronic applications such as transistors and solar cells. One hurdle for
their breakthrough is their notoriously low conductivity. To address this, we
precisely decorate CdSe nanoparticles with platinum domains of one to three
nanometers in diameter by a facile and robust seeded growth method. We
demonstrate the transition from semiconductor to metal dominated conduction in
monolayered films. By adjusting the platinum content in such
solution-processable hybrid, oligomeric nanoparticles the dark currents through
deposited arrays become tunable while maintaining electronic confinement and
photoconductivity. Comprehensive electrical measurements allow determining the
reigning charge transport mechanisms.
