Surfactant-Assisted Synthesis of Lead Telluride Nanoparticles: Shape, Size, and Assembly

Abstract

Colloidal suspensions of PbTe nanoparticles coated with oleic acid (OA) were obtained using a high-temperature solution phase (HTSP) method. Diphenyl ether was used as a high-boiling heat-transfer agent. Nanoparticle size was tuned during the synthesis by means of reaction temperature. The reaction temperature was varied between 140 °C and 200 °C, and the trioctylphosphine -Te/lead oleate molar ratio was selected as 2 : 1. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the size, shape, structure, and composition of the PbTe nanocrystals. Ordering of nanocrystals into a close-packed structure indicates that the PbTe nanoparticles have a well-defined shape and a narrow size distribution.