One-Pot Synthesis of Water-Soluble Nanoparticles of ZnS-AgInS2 Solid Solution with Controllable Photoluminescence

Nanoparticles of ZnS-AgInS2 solid solution (ZAIS) were prepared in 3-amino-1-propanol (APP) solution by thermolysis of (AgIn)(x)Zn2(1-x)(S2CN(C2H5)(2))(4) (x = 0.4-1.0). The resulting APP-modified ZAIS nanoparticles of ca. 3 nm in diameter were dissolved in water. The band gap energy was enlarged by an increase in the x value of the precursor used. An intense photoluminescence was observed, the color of which was tunable from green to red by changing the kind of precursor used. The present nanoparticles with x = 1.0 exhibited an optimal quantum yield of ca. 20%, being higher than that of the conventional thiol-modified ZAIS (x = 1.0) in water prepared by a ligand exchange technique.