Issue 20, 2023

A selenium-based “alkahest”: reactive dissolutions of metals and metal compounds with n-alkylammonium polyselenide solutions

Abstract

The solution-processing of metal chalcogenides offers a promising route to improve the manufacturing of semiconductor devices. The amine–thiol solvent system has been deemed an “alkahest” for its ability to dissolve a wide range of metals and metal chalcogenides. Therefore, it enables convenient synthesis of metal sulfides. However, in the literature there are limited reports of analogous selenium-based “alkahest” chemistry. Here we show that solutions containing n-alkylammonium polyselenides can dissolve a wide range of metals and metal compounds through the formation of soluble metal polyselenides. These metal polyselenides can subsequently be utilized as precursors for the synthesis of a wide range of binary and multinary metal selenide thin films and nanoparticles, including Cu(In,Ga)Se2, Cu2ZnSnSe4, and Ag2ZnSnSe4.

Graphical abstract: A selenium-based “alkahest”: reactive dissolutions of metals and metal compounds with n-alkylammonium polyselenide solutions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
16 Aug 2023
Accepted
25 Aug 2023
First published
31 Aug 2023

Inorg. Chem. Front., 2023,10, 6032-6044

Author version available

A selenium-based “alkahest”: reactive dissolutions of metals and metal compounds with n-alkylammonium polyselenide solutions

J. W. Turnley, S. D. Deshmukh, V. M. Boulos, R. Spilker, C. J. Breckner, K. Ng, J. K. Liu, J. T. Miller, H. I. Kenttämaa and R. Agrawal, Inorg. Chem. Front., 2023, 10, 6032 DOI: 10.1039/D3QI01632C

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