Insight into Microwave-Assisted Growth of Water-Soluble Ag2S Nanocrystals
Abstract
Understanding and controlling reaction mechanisms are essential for the rational design of synthesis protocols for colloidal nanoparticles. In the case of luminescent nanocrystals and semiconductor quantum dots, understanding the correlation between structural and optical properties further enables their optimization for specific applications. Silver sulfide (Ag2S) nanocrystals are promising bioimaging probes due to their tunable photoluminescence emission in the NIR-I and NIR-II ranges and the absence of toxicity of bulk Ag2S. We developed an efficient microwave-assisted aqueous synthesis method using glutathione (GSH) as both the sulfur source and the capping agent for the production of directly water-soluble nanocrystals with potential for bioimaging applications. The nucleation and growth of these crystals are investigated using synchrotron-based X-ray absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, which do not rely on either a minimum particle size or their crystallinity. We reveal the local structure around the silver atoms and the surface properties of the nanocrystals and relate them back to their optical properties, size, and crystallinity. This comprehensive and multiscale study reveals the different growth mechanisms taking place as a function of the Ag/GSH precursor ratio. In particular, a switch from a reaction-controlled growth regime to aggregative growth occurs in the case of a low precursor ratio, leading to an abrupt shift in the emission wavelength.
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BibTeX
@article{eldahshan2026insight,
title = {{Insight into Microwave-Assisted Growth of Water-Soluble Ag2S Nanocrystals}},
author = {Omar El-Dahshan and Anna Stepanova and Ranin Barek and Aurélien Deniaud and Chiara Battocchio and Olivier Proux and Isabelle Maurin and Wai Li Ling and Peter Reiss and Giulia Veronesi},
journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.6c02974},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05763131v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Insight into Microwave-Assisted Growth of Water-Soluble Ag2S Nanocrystals
AU - Omar El-Dahshan
AU - Anna Stepanova
AU - Ranin Barek
AU - Aurélien Deniaud
AU - Chiara Battocchio
AU - Olivier Proux
AU - Isabelle Maurin
AU - Wai Li Ling
AU - Peter Reiss
AU - Giulia Veronesi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/25
JO - Journal of Physical Chemistry C
DO - 10.1021/acs.jpcc.6c02974
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05763131v1
AB - Understanding and controlling reaction mechanisms are essential for the rational design of synthesis protocols for colloidal nanoparticles. In the case of luminescent nanocrystals and semiconductor quantum dots, understanding the correlation between structural and optical properties further enables their optimization for specific applications. Silver sulfide (Ag2S) nanocrystals are promising bioimaging probes due to their tunable photoluminescence emission in the NIR-I and NIR-II ranges and the absence of toxicity of bulk Ag2S. We developed an efficient microwave-assisted aqueous synthesis method using glutathione (GSH) as both the sulfur source and the capping agent for the production of directly water-soluble nanocrystals with potential for bioimaging applications. The nucleation and growth of these crystals are investigated using synchrotron-based X-ray absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, which do not rely on either a minimum particle size or their crystallinity. We reveal the local structure around the silver atoms and the surface properties of the nanocrystals and relate them back to their optical properties, size, and crystallinity. This comprehensive and multiscale study reveals the different growth mechanisms taking place as a function of the Ag/GSH precursor ratio. In particular, a switch from a reaction-controlled growth regime to aggregative growth occurs in the case of a low precursor ratio, leading to an abrupt shift in the emission wavelength.
SN - 1932-7447
SN - 1932-7455
ER -