Controlled, Facile Synthesis of High Aspect Ratio Silver Indium Selenide Nanorods

We herein report a facile synthesis of AgInSe2 nanorods with a high aspect ratio in the aqueous phase via a completely green method without the use of any surfactant or template. It was found that the amount of selenium precursor concentration has greater control over the morphology of the nanocrystals. The higher concentration of selenium (Ag:In:Se=1:4:6.2) in the reaction produced long nanorods with a high aspect ratio (>30) together with few spherical nanocrystals, whereas the lower Se concentration of selenium (Ag:In: Se=1:4:3.75 or 3.85) produced aggregates of spherical particles with particle diameter of 5.2 +/- 0.4nm. We inferred that increase in the reaction kinetic drive coupled with slower growth rate as the selenium concentration increased enhanced more interaction between the existing spherical particles in the product solution and resulted in the formation of elongated particles. This method is simple, cost-effective and eco-friendly for the synthesis of Se based ternary semiconductor nanorods.