Photofunctional Materials Fabricated with Chalcopyrite-Type Semiconductor Nanoparticles Composed of AgInS2 and Its Solid Solutions

Over the past decade, many researchers have made efforts to develop high-quality I-III-VI2 group chalcopyrite-type semiconductor nanoparticles of Cu-based or Ag-based materials, such as CuInS2, Cu(InGa)Se2, and AgInS2, due to their low toxicity, wide range of absorption from UV to visible or near-infrared regions, and tunable energy gap depending on the chemical composition. Ag-based chalcopyrite-type nanoparticles have attracted much attention because they have physicochemical properties that can be controlled in a manner similar to that for Cu-based nanoparticles but can be synthesized easily under milder reaction conditions than those of Cu-based ones. In this Perspective, we review recent works relating to the preparation of low-toxic nanoparticles of Ag-based chalcopyrite-type semiconductors and their solid solutions, and then we introduce their application as photofunctional materials. Tunability of optical properties has considerably contributed to recent advances in photofunctional applications of chalcopyrite-type semiconductor nanoparticles to sensors, photocatalysts, and solar cells.