Single-step synthesis of silver sulfide nanocrystals in arsenic trisulfide

Silver sulfide nanocrystals and chalcogenide glasses (ChGs) are two distinct classes of semiconductor materials that have been exploited for new infrared technologies. Each one exhibits particular optoelectronic phenomena, which could be encompassed in a hybrid material. However, the integration of uniformly distributed crystalline phases within an amorphous matrix is not always an easy task. In this paper, we report a single step method to produce Ag₂S nanocrystals (NCs) in arsenic trisulfide (As₂S₃) solution. The preparation is carried out at room temperature, using As₂S₃, AgCl and propylamine resulting in highly crystalline Ag₂S nanoparticles in solution. These solutions are spin-coated on glass and silicon substrates to produce As₂S₃/Ag₂S metamaterials for optoelectronics.