Solution Synthesis and Optical Properties of SnTe Nanocrystals

A facile approach has been developed for the synthesis of SnTe nanocrystals using triethanolamine as the stabilizing agent. The size of SnTe nanoparticles can be readily tuned from 2.7 to 32 nm. Powder X-ray diffraction and selective-area electron diffraction (SAED) indicate that the nanoparticles adopt the cubic rock-salt crystal structure. The direct band gap of the resulting nanoparticles can be significantly tuned and blue-shifted relative to the bulk value by changing the nanocrystal size.