USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Paul D Cunningham

Rhonda Michele Stroud

Steven C Erwin

Sarah F Brittman

Janice E Boercker

Patrick Y Yee

Michael H Stewart

Joseph G Tischler

Chase T Ellis

Katherine D Burgess

Methods of fabricating nanocrystals are disclosed. Such methods may include providing copper sulfide core nanocrystals and providing a lead precursor. Moreover, the copper sulfide core nanocrystals may be reacted with the lead precursor to generate copper doped lead sulfide nanocrystals. Related nanocrystals and optoelectronic devices are also disclosed.

Methods of forming nanocrystals and related crystals and optoelectronic devices

A process for synthesizing CuS/PbS core/shell nanocrystals. Pb-oleate is mixed with 1-octadecene and heated to 60&#xb0; C. CuS core solution and bis(trimethylsilyl)sulfide stock solution are added and the mixture is stirred at 60&#xb0; C. for 6 minutes to form the PbS shell around the CuS nanocrystal cores. The flask is cooled and acetonitrile and toluene is added and the mixture is centrifuged to precipitate and remove the CuS/PbS core/shell nanocrystals from the reaction mixture. The reaction also produces homogeneously nucleated PbS nanocrystals, which are removed from the CuS/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 CuS cores in the reaction, CuS/PbS core/shell nanocrystals having a predetermined shell thickness of PbS, and thus a predetermined level of chemical stability, can be obtained.

Core/shell nanocrystals with copper sulfide cores and lead sulfide shells

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Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Paul D Cunningham