Synthesis of Cu-In-S ternary nanocrystals with tunable structure and composition.

Nearly monodisperse Cu-In-S ternary nanocrystals with tunable composition, crystalline structure, and size were synthesized by a hot-injection method using mixed generic precursors. Such ternary nanocrystals with zincblende and wurtzite structure were reported for the first time. This work correlates the crystalline structure of the binary ZnS nanoparticles with those of ternary Cu-In-S nanocrystals, demonstrating the feasibility of making their alloyed or core/shell structure. Furthermore, this work may provide suitable material candidates for low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell fabrication.