Semiconductor nanoparticles composed of AgAuS-based multicomponent compound

Abstract

The present invention relates to a semiconductor nanoparticle composed of a compound containing Ag, Au, S and a metal M as essential constitutional elements. In the present invention, the metal M is at least any of Al, Ga, In, Tl, Zn, Cd, Hg and Cu, and the compound has a total content of Ag, Au, S and the metal M of 95 mass % or more. In addition, a ratio (x/(x+y)) of the number of atoms of Ag to a sum of the number of atoms of Ag, x, and the number of atoms of Au, y, in the AgAuS-based multicomponent compound is preferably 0.50 or more and 0.88 or less. The semiconductor nanoparticle of the present invention has appropriate emission and extinction characteristics and is biocompatible.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.