Porous semiconductor chalcogenide aerogels.

Chalcogenide aerogels based entirely on semiconducting II-VI or IV-VI frameworks have been prepared from a general strategy that involves oxidative aggregation of metal chalcogenide nanoparticle building blocks followed by supercritical solvent removal. The resultant materials are mesoporous, exhibit high surface areas, can be prepared as monoliths, and demonstrate the characteristic quantum-confined optical properties of their nanoparticle components. These materials can be synthesized from a variety of building blocks by chemical or photochemical oxidation, and the properties can be further tuned by heat treatment. Aerogel formation represents a powerful yet facile method for metal chalcogenide nanoparticle assembly and the creation of mesoporous semiconductors.