General Synthesis of Wurtzite Cu-Based Quaternary Selenide Nanocrystals via the Colloidal Method

Cu-based multinary selenide nanomaterials have garnered significant attention in photocatalytic and photovoltaic applications, owing to their unique electronic and optical properties. However, the high-yield and scalable synthesis of wurtzite colloidal Cu-based multinary selenide nanocrystals via a versatile and simple colloidal method has not yet been achieved. In this work, we report a general hot-injection colloidal method for the high-yield synthesis of a diverse library of wurtzite Cu-based quaternary selenide nanocrystals, including Cu2CdSnSe4, Cu2ZnSnSe4, Cu2FeSnSe4, Cu2CoSnSe4, Cu2MnSnSe4, Cu3InSnSe5, Cu3GaSnSe5, CuZnInSe3, CuZnGaSe3, CuCdInSe3, and Cu(InGa)Se2. As a proof of concept, the wurtzite Cu2CdSnSe4 nanocrystals are used as photocatalysts for solar-to-hydrogen production, displaying a good photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. Moreover, this approach has broad applicability for the high-yield synthesis of other wurtzite nanomaterials, which show significant potential for a wide range of applications.