Anisotropic 2D Cu2-xSe Nanocrystals from Dodecaneselenol and their Conversion to CdSe and CuInSe2 Nanoparticles

In this paper we present the synthesis of colloidal anisotropic Cu2-xSe nanocrystals (NCs) with excellent size and shape control, using the unexplored phosphine-free selenium precursor 1-dodecaneselenol (DDSe). This precursor forms lamellar complexes with Cu(I) that enable tailoring the NC morphology from 0D polyhedral to highly anisotropic 2D shapes. The Cu2-xSe NCs are subsequently used as templates in post-synthetic cation exchange reactions, through which they are successfully converted to CdSe and CuInSe2 quantum dots, nanoplatelets and ultrathin nanosheets. The shape of the template hexagonal nanoplatelets is preserved during the cation exchange reaction, despite a substantial reorganization of the anionic sub-lattice, which leads to conversion of the tetragonal umangite crystal structure of the parent Cu2-xSe NCs into hexagonal wurtzite CdSe and CuInSe2, accompanied by a change of both the thickness and the lateral dimensions of the nanoplatelets. The crystallographic transformation and reconstruction of the product NCs are attributed to a combination of the unit cell dimensionalities of the parent and product crystal phases and an internal ripening process. This work provides novel tools for the rational design of shape-controlled colloidal anisotropic Cu2-xSe NCs, which, besides their promising optoelectronic properties, also constitute a new family of cation exchange templates for the synthesis of shape-controlled NCs of wurtzite CdSe, CuInSe2 and other metal selenides that cannot be attained through direct synthesis approaches. Moreover, the insights provided here are likely applicable also to the direct synthesis of shape-controlled NCs of other metal selenides, since DDSe may be able to form lamellar complexes with several other metals.