Nanoparticle Synthesis

Synthesis and development of nanoparticle materials for photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, and battery electrodes. Mapping and understanding reaction pathways to access a range of complex binary and ternary phases and morphologies.

Research Highlights

Diagram of Cu-V-VI element combinations explored for energy conversion

Synthesis and Development of Cu-V-VI Nanoparticles for Energy Conversion

We explore synthetic and mechanistic pathways to develop earth-abundant nanoparticle materials for applications in photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, and battery electrodes.

Reaction of Cu3-xP at 140 degrees C into disordered intermediates with phosphorus disorder, then crystallization at 300 degrees C into Cu3PSe4, shown with crystal structures above and electron microscopy images below

Finding the Disordered Intermediates that Turn Cu3−xP into Cu3PSe4 Nanoparticles

Cu3−xP reacts with a selenium source to give Cu3PSe4. We characterized the intermediate stages of this reaction: X-ray scattering, electron microscopy, and NMR show that the starting particles break apart into disordered, vacancy-rich Cu-Se phases that sequester phosphorus as [PSe4]3− units.

Energy landscape diagram showing stable and metastable nanoparticle phases

Mapping, Controlling, and Expanding Reaction Pathways

Reaction coordinate diagrams provide a starting point to evaluate reaction landscapes. From this, we can manipulate synthetic parameters that allow us to probe formation pathways of complex ternary nanoparticles.