Study on synthesis and growth methods of rod-like PbSe nanomaterials

Due to the narrow band gap and high quantum confinement effects, Group IV–VI PbSe semiconductor materials have wide applications in infrared detectors. The morphology and size of nanomaterials affect the physical and chemical properties of PbSe semiconductor materials. Here, we developed a synthesized and grew PbSe-branched, I-shaped, and L-shaped nanorods method with uniform distribution by modulating the reaction environment. The results suggested that the arm length of the nanorods increased along the < 100 > axes with reaction time. The directional attachment of nanoparticles along the {100} plane was enhanced by appropriately increasing the reaction temperature. NH 4 Cl could promote the orientational attachment of PbSe nanocrystals along the {100} planes to form I-shaped and L-shaped nanorods. The PbSe-branched nanorod arms were uniformly distributed between 4.2 and 21 nm corresponding to an absorption spectrum between 1086 and 1574 nm and photoluminescence between 1301 and 1621 nm. This indicates that the optical properties are tunable in the near-infrared. Therefore, this research expands the potential applications of PbSe nanostructures in tunable infrared lasers, bioimaging, and solar cells, among others.