Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 July 2011
In this report, we present a hot-injection strategy for the synthesis of CuInS2 (CIS) nanocrystals with hexagonal, pyramidal and nanorod shapes. For that purpose copper (I) and indium (III) acetates were dissolved in oleylamine as a high-boiling solvent. Tert-dodecanethiol (t-DDT) was used as a sulfur source. It was mixed with 1-dodecanothiol (1-DDT) and injected at a high temperature. The presence of the second dodecanethiol was necessary to control the growth of the synthesized nanocrystals. We observed a strong influence of the t-DDT amount on the morphology of the CIS nanocrystals. By the variation of the injected solution uniform CIS nanorods with different aspect ratio and size were obtained.