Solution−Liquid−Solid Growth of Ternary Cu−In−Se Semiconductor Nanowires from Multiple- and Single-Source Precursors

Ternary CuInSe2 nanowires were synthesized for the first time by the solution−liquid−solid (SLS) mechanism. Here, both metal−organic multiple- and single-source molecular precursors were thermally decomposed in the presence of molten metal nanoparticles and coordinating ligands. The nature of the precursormultiple- compared to single-source (wherein Cu−Se−In bonds are effectively preformed)as well as the choice of coordinating ligands, reaction temperature, and reactant order-of-addition strongly affected the morphology and composition of the reaction product obtained. Crystalline, straight, and nearly stoichiometric CuInSe2 nanowires were most readily achieved using the single-source precursor; however, careful tuning of reaction conditions could also be used to obtain high-quality nanowires from multiple-source precursor systems. The CuInSe2 nanowires are strong light absorbers from the near-infrared through the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions and, thereby, comprise new soluble and processable “building blocks” for applications in solar-light harvesting.

首次通过溶液-液-固（SLS）机制合成了三价CuInSe2纳米线。在此过程中，金属有机多源和单源分子前驱体在熔融金属纳米颗粒和配位配体的存在下被热分解。与前驱体的单源（其中Cu-Se-In键被有效预形成）相比，以及配位配体的选择、反应温度和反应物添加顺序等因素，均显著影响了所获得反应产物的形态和组成。使用单源前驱体可以最易地获得结晶、直链和近化学计量的CuInSe2纳米线；然而，通过精确调控反应条件，亦能从多源前驱体系统中获得高质量的纳米线。CuInSe2纳米线在近红外至可见光和紫外光谱区域均表现出强烈的吸光性，从而构成了用于光能收集的新型可溶性且可加工的‘构建模块’。