Synthesis of High-Quality AgSbSe2 and AgBiSe2 Nanocrystals with Antimony and Bismuth Silylamide Reagents

Silver dimetal chalcogenides (Ag–V–VI2) are ternary semiconductors that have potential alternative energy applications due to their optimal band gaps and large extinction coefficients. The synthesis of these materials is challenging due to the lack of effective pnictide precursors. We report the use of tris[N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)amido]antimony (Sb[N(SiMe3)2]3) and tris[N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)amido]bismuth (Bi[(N(SiMe3)2]3) to synthesize nanocrystalline AgSbSe2 and AgBiSe2 quantum dots. The use of these reagents results in the creation of high quality nanomaterials with good crystallinity and narrow size distributions. Furthermore, electrical measurements on monolithic pellets of processed AgSbSe2 and AgBiSe2 nanomaterials demonstrate linear current–voltage behavior at room temperature, which indicates potential for use in electrical applications.