Researchers at Stanford University have developed a novel process for forming colloidal metal chalcogenide nanoparticles using soluble inorganic precursors containing metal-chalcogen clusters as a single-source precursor. This process overcomes some limitations of existing single-source precursors and expands the possibilities for synthesis of metal chalcogenide nanoparticles. Colloidal nanoparticles formed of the metal chalcogenides have been used to fabricate a wide range of optical and electronic devices including light emitting diodes solar cells optical recording media (phase change) thin film transistors and the like. These materials have also been used as luminescent \"tags\"" for biological labeling and have exhibited lasing and other nonlinear optical effects."
1) Can be used with main metals and transition metals 2) Uses single-source precursor method which is more stable and uses relatively harmless reagents vs. the co-precipitation route to nanoparticle synthesis