Controlled synthesis of luminescent CuInS2 nanocrystals and their optical properties

Luminescent CuInS 2 nanocrystals have been synthesized in dodecanethiol using air-stable precursors. The nanocrystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy . The optical properties of the CuInS 2 nanocrystals can be controlled by changing the reaction conditions, such as reaction time, temperature, and addition of ligands. It was found that the steady-state photoluminescence spectrum of the close-packed CuInS 2 nanocrystals on glass substrate peaked at longer wavelength than that of the colloidal ones and the close-packed nanocrystals possessed a shorter luminescence decay time. This behavior was explained on the basis of Förster resonant energy transfer due to the shorter distance between nanocrystals on substrate.