There is considerable current interest in the synthesis of metal chalcogenide nanostructured materials1 especially for the manufacture of so called 3rd generation solar cells. The facile, large scale, synthesis of such materials is critical to enabling such technology. The synthesis of these materials, especially those of cadmium, has been widely discussed in the literature. However, whilst routes involving pyrophoric materials give high quality particles and structures2, their inherent reactivity results in complications in handling. Although the use of acetates has already been shown to give good results,3 there are, in general, problems in the synthesis of tellurium containing materials.4

This paper describes a new method providing a general synthesis of metal chalcogenide nanomaterials in a TOP/TOPO reaction system involving easy-to-handle reagents. Results for cadmium will for the basis of the discussion, which will include examples from a wider range of metals. The use of cadmium acetate in TOP and solutions of chalcogenides in TOP in the presence of suitable reducing agents provides an exceptionally reactive system. The system is flexible and may be applied to a wider range of chalcogenide based nanomaterials.