Au-Edged CuZnSe2 Heterostructured Nanosheets with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials and heterostructured nanocrystals (NCs) are two hot topics in current nanoresearch. However, reports on heterostructured NCs with 2D features are still rare. In this work, we demonstrate a one-pot colloidal chemistry route for synthesizing Au-CuZnSe 2 heterostructures with spherical Au domains attached to the edge of a sheet of CuZnSe 2 . This protocol involves the preferential formation of Au clusters and the seeded growth of CuZnSe 2 sheets because of the lattice matching of CuSe with Au. As an example to demonstrate the importance of such heterostructures, the electrochemical performance of Au-CuZnSe 2 heterostructured nanosheets is compared with that of heterostructured nanorods, Au NCs, and CuZnSe 2 NCs. The heterostructured nanosheets exhibit the best electrochemical activity.