Thermodynamic control of iron pyrite nanocrystal synthesis with high photoactivity and stability

Abstract

Non-toxic, earth abundant nanostructured semiconductors have received extensive attention recently. One of the more highly studied materials has been iron pyrite (FeS₂) due to its many different promising applications. Herein, we report the thermodynamically-controlled synthesis of FeS₂ nanocrystals, dependent on the reaction temperature and chemical precursors, and a Lewis acid/base model to explain the shape-controlled synthesis. The surface facet-controlled photocatalytic activity and photostability were studied and explained. This work further advances the synthesis with pyrite structure control and surface facet-dictated applications, such as photovoltaics, photocatalysts and photoelectrochemical cells.