Novel single molecule precursor routes for the direct synthesis of highly monodispersed quantum dots of cadmium or zinc sulfide or selenide

Good quality highly mono-dispersed nanoparticles of II–VI binary chalcogenides ME (M = Zn or Cd, E = S or Se) have been prepared in a ‘one-pot’ synthesis by the thermolysis in tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO, e. g. at 200 °C for 45 min, ca. 50 Å ± 2. 5 Å diameter) of the corresponding bismethyl (n-hexyl) di-thio or -selenocarbamato ME2CNMe (C6H13) 2, E = S or Se complexes; the CdS, CdSe and ZnSe particles have been characterized by electronic spectroscopy, photoluminiscence, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy (SAED, SEM and TEM).