Preparation and spectral properties of CuSe/ZnSe core-shell nanomaterials

Abstract In this research, first, CuSe nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by using the reflux condensation method. Then, a ZnSe shell was grown on the CuSe NPs by using a simple, rapid photochemical approach. Synthesized CuSe/ZnSe core-shell NPs were characterized by means of different analyses, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD analysis of the sample shows the formation of core-shell NPs with the structure of hexagonal CuSe and cubic ZnSe. The core-shell structure of the product has been formed and the size of the synthesized core-shell NPs is about 20–50 nm. The band gap of the CuSe/ZnSe core-shell NPs was higher than that for CuSe or ZnSe in bulk. The fluorescence properties were greatly enhanced by successful growth of the ZnSe shell and decreased with the extension of illumination time.