Cu2-xS/PbS Core/Shell Nanocrystals

摘要

A process for synthesizing Cu2-xS/PbS core/shell nanocrystals. Pb-oleate is mixed with 1-octadecene and heated to 60° C. Cu2-xS core solution and bis(trimethylsilyl)sulfide stock solution are added and the mixture is stirred at 60° C. for 6 minutes to form the PbS shell around the Cu2-xS nanocrystal cores. The flask is cooled and acetonitrile and toluene is added and the mixture is centrifuged to precipitate and remove the Cu2-xS/PbS core/shell nanocrystals from the reaction mixture. The reaction also produces homogeneously nucleated PbS nanocrystals, which are removed from the Cu2-xS/PbS core/shell reaction mixture via size-selective precipitation. By tailoring the amounts of Pb-oleate and bis(trimethylsilyl)sulfide stock solution in the reaction vessel, while maintaining their molar ratio of 1.5:1 and the number of Cu2-xS cores in the reaction, Cu2-xS/PbS core/shell nanocrystals having a predetermined shell thickness of PbS, and thus a predetermined level of chemical stability, can be obtained.