Diffusion-Induced Shape Evolution in Multinary Semiconductor Nanostructures

The classical mechanism of crystal growth for architecting different nanomaterials in solution, although widely studied, is mainly restricted to binary semiconductor systems. However, this method is not applicable to multinary nanomaterials, which have multivalent cations possessing different reactivity under identical reaction conditions. Hence, the shape architectures of these nanostructures, which require a more sophisticated approach, remain relatively unexplored compared to those of binary semiconductors. Owing to the importance of the multinary materials, which are emerging as excellent green materials for both light harvesting and light emission, we investigated the diffusion-rate-controlled formation of ternary AgGaSe₂ nanostructures and studied their heterostructures with noble metals. Controlling the changes in the rate of diffusion of the Ag ions resulted in the formation of tadpole-shaped AgGaSe₂ ternary nanostructures. In situ study by collecting a sequential collection of samples has been carried out, and the conversion of amorphous Ga-selenide to crystalline AgGaSe₂ has been monitored. In addition, heterostructures of tadpole AgGaSe₂ with noble metals, Au and Pt, were designed, and their photocatalytic behaviors were studied.