Metal Chalcogenide Nanomaterials

The chemical elements oxygen (0), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), and polonium (Po), belonging to group 16 of the periodic table, are called chalcogens. Chalcogenides are a class of chemical compounds consisting of at least one chalcogen anion and an electropositive element. When the electropositive element is a metal, it is called a 'metal chalcogenide.' Generally, the term chalcogenide is used to address sulfides, selenides, and tellurides rather than oxides and polonium compounds because of the strong non-metallic properties of oxygen and the strong metallic qualities of polonium.

Due to the ability of the chalcogen to catenate and bind to numerous metal centers, various metal chalcogenides with different structures and compositions can be formed. The large and diverse family of metal chalcogenides can be classified in many ways; for instance, the chalcogen element present can be divided into sulfides, selenides, tellurides, and multi-chalcogen chalcogenides.

Binary metal chalcogenides comprising a main group or transition metal and a chalcogen are widely explored for their distinctive chemical and physical properties and promising application in optoelectronics, photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, and photo-catalysis, and photodetection. Binary metal chalcogenides exist in many stoichiometries and structures.