Control of Elemental Distribution in the Nanoscale Solid-State Reaction That Produces (GaZn)(NO) Nanocrystals.

Solid-state chemical transformations at the nanoscale can be a powerful tool for achieving compositional complexity in nanomaterials. It is desirable to understand the mechanisms of such reactions and characterize the local-level composition of the resulting materials. Here, we examine how reaction temperature controls the elemental distribution in (GaZn)(NO) nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized via the solid-state nitridation of a mixture of nanoscale ZnO and ZnGaO NCs.

Strong Visible Absorption and Broad Time Scale Excited-State Relaxation in (Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) Nanocrystals.

(Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) is a visible absorber of interest for solar fuel generation. We present a first report of soluble (Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) nanocrystals (NCs) and their excited-state dynamics over the time window of 10(-13)-10(-4) s. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we find that excited-state decay in (Ga0.

(Ga₁-xZnx)(N₁-xOx) nanocrystals: visible absorbers with tunable composition and absorption spectra.

Bulk oxy(nitride) (Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) is a promising photocatalyst for water splitting under visible illumination. To realize its solar harvesting potential, it is desirable to minimize its band gap through synthetic control of the value of x. Furthermore, improved photochemical quantum yields may be achievable with nanocrystalline forms of this material.