Spontaneous Formation of a Hybrid Heterotrimer of Fe3O4-Ag2S-ZnS by Seeded-Growth Method

Abstract

Three-component containing hybrid heterostructures with multiple functionalities are highly desirable but difficult to synthesize. Herein, we have demonstrated the utilization of a simple seeded-growth approach for the synthesis of a hybrid heterotrimer of iron oxide–silver sulfide–zinc sulfide (Fe3O4-Ag2S-ZnS). At first, Fe3O4-Ag was synthesized by using silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) as a seed followed by its in situ sulfurization to produce a dimer of Fe3O4-Ag2S. This dimer was successively used as a seed under controlled experimental conditions for the synthesis of Fe3O4-Ag2S-ZnS. The availability of such trimers through this approach can shed some light on the integration of entirely different functionalities in one-particle systems.