Methods of producing metal sulfides, metal selenides, and metal sulfides/selenides having controlled architectures using kinetic control

A method of preparing metal sulfide, metal selenide, metal sulfide/selenide, mixed metal sulfide, mixed metal selenide, or mixed metal sulfide/selenide nanoparticles, the method comprising:

• (a) contacting at least two precursor metal salts with a sulfur-containing precursor, a selenium-containing precursor, or a combination or mixture of the sulfur- and selenium-containing precursors, or
• (b) contacting a precursor metal salt with a sulfur-containing precursor, a selenium-containing precursor, or a mixture of sulfur- and selenium-containing precursors,
• in each case where plural precursor metal salts and/or sulfur-/seleno-containing precursors are employed, the contacting being done simultaneously or sequentially in either order in a solution, each precursor metal salt being capable of reacting with each sulfur- and selenium-containing precursor to form the corresponding metal sulfide and metal selenide, the contacting giving rise to reaction conditions sufficient to control at least one parameter of particle size, particle distribution, and particle composition of the nanoparticles to-a predetermined architecture, the sulfur- or selenium-containing precursor each independently having a structure of Formula (I), Formula (II), or Formula (III), or an isomer, salt, or tautomer thereof,
• wherein
• Q1 is independently —O—, —S—, Se—, —CR3R4—, —N(R4)— or P(R4)—;
• Q2 is independently —O—, —S—, Se—, —CR3R4—, —N(R3)— or P(R3)—;
• Q3 is an optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted heteroaryl;
• R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently at each occurrence H, optionally substituted C1-24 alkyl, optionally substituted C3-12 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C2-24 alkenyl, optionally substituted C3-12 cycloalkenyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, or optionally substituted heteroaralkyl;
• or any two of R1, R2, R3, and R4 are, within the same structure, linked to form a 5- to 10-membered heterocycle comprising an optionally substituted alkylene or an optionally substituted and/or conjugated alkenylene linkage;
• or optionally one or more of R1, R2, and R3 is not H;
• R5 is halogen, —CN, —NO2, C1-6 alkoxy, C1-6 alkyl, C3-6 cycloalkyl, C2-6 alkenyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aryloxy, optionally substituted aralkyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, or optionally substituted heteroaralkyl;
• q is 0, 1, 2, or 3;
• X is S or Se;
• and
• Y is a bond —O—, —S—, or —N(R3)—;
• with the provisos that, in Formula (I):
• when Q1R1 is NH2, then Q2R2 is not CH3;
• when Q2R2 is NH2, then Q1R1 is not CH3;
• and
• when Q1 is —N(R4)— and Q2 is —N(R3)—, then R1 and R2 are linked to form a 5- or 6-membered heterocycle comprising an optionally substituted alkylene linkage or a 6-membered heterocycle comprising an optionally substituted alkenylene linkage.