A General Synthesis of Cu−In−S Based Multicomponent Solid-Solution Nanocrystals with Tunable Band Gap, Size, and Structure

A general approach has been developed to synthesize high-quality Cu−In−S based multicomponent solid-solution nanocrystals (NCs) of Zn_2x(CuIn)_1−xS₂, (CuIn)_1−xCd_2xS₂, and (ZnS)_x(CuInS₂)_y(CdS)_z at relatively low temperature. This was achieved in a noncoordinating solvent system (toluene) by a simple solvothermal process using metal diethyldithiocarbamate complexes as the precursors. The composition, crystalline structure, size, and bang gap of the NCs could be readily tuned by the precursors used and synthesis conditions. This work provides useful understanding for the synthesis of solid-solution NCs that are of interest for photocatalyst, solar cell, and other applications.