Research Seminar Abstract

Solution-based synthetic methods are promising routes for making nanoparticles with applications in a wide variety of fields, including photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, and for LED’s. Investigating the pathway and mechanism of these reactions leads to better synthesis rational and the ability to tune and improve fundamental structure/property relationships, leading to better device performance. The Prieto group is interested in investigating solution-based nanoparticle syntheses of potential photovoltaic materials with similar properties to the I-II-VI₂ chalcogenides (e.g. CuInSe₂) but composed of earth abundant elements. Specifically, this work focuses on routes to logically identify and understand a solution-based nanoparticle synthesis for Cu₂SiSe₃. Initial studies and literature precedence demonstrate the difficulty of incorporating the main group element Si into the system. Rational methods to increase the reactivity of Si and/or inhibit the reactivity of Se and Cu are being explored. Currently, it is hypothesized that by first forming Si binaries, Cu-Si or Si-Se, Cu-Se binary impurities can be avoided. The work presented here shows the development of a metathesis reaction in order to successfully form Cu-Si binaries. This success has led to promising directions where main group IVA elements are currently being investigated.