Solid-State and Nanoparticle Synthesis of EuS_<i>x</i>Se_1–<i>x</i> Solid Solutions

Europium chalcogenide alloys, EuS_<i>x</i>Se_1–<i>x</i>, have been synthesized both in the solid-state and as colloidal nanoparticles; the composition, structure, magnetism, and optical band gaps have been characterized. The goal was to observe the consequences of selenium concentration on the electronic structure as evidenced by the optical and magnetic properties and whether these properties are maintained in the nanomaterials. Both solid-state and nanoparticle alloys obey Vegard’s law with a systematic change in cell constant as confirmed by the powder X-ray diffraction. The bulk materials form homogeneous alloys that exhibit a linear change in both magnetic and optical properties as a function of composition. A synthetic method to prepare nanoalloys with a wide range of S:Se ratio has been developed. The nanoalloys are homogeneous, and EDS mapping of single nanoparticles indicates relatively uniform S and Se composition across the nanocrystals. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles appear to parallel those in the solid-state. Although the composition is an effective tool to tune to the optical band gap in the solid-state alloys with a linear change in <i>E</i>_g with composition, the nanoparticle optical band gaps appeared to be shifted, which we attribute to the presence of an amorphous selenium phase. The study of the properties of colloidal alloys highlights the importance of the mechanism of nanoparticle formation to control composition and purity