Rapid synthesis of CuInTe2 ultrathin nanoplates with enhanced photoelectrochemical properties.

Ultrathin (2.1 ± 0.1 nm) single-crystal CuInTe2 two-dimensional (2D) nanoplates were synthesized via a rapid colloidal synthesis method. The growth mechanism was investigated in detail. Crystal seeds grew via a 2D assembly process of initially formed small CuInTe2 nanoparticles followed by recrystallization into single crystal nanoplates. The obtained CuInTe2 nanoplates exhibited significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical properties compared with the CuInTe2 nanoparticles, benefitting from their ultrathin 2D characteristics.