Ascorbic acid-assisted solvothermal growth of γ-InSe hierarchical flowerlike architectures

Gamma phase indium selenide (γ-InSe) hierarchical flowerlike architectures have been facilely synthesized for the first time via the reaction of indium chloride and selenium powders with the assistance of ascorbic acid at 220 °C for 20 h in an ethanol-solvothermal system, in which ascorbic acid acts as both reducing and capping agent. SEM, TEM and HRTEM investigations show that these flowerlike InSe architectures with hexagonal γ-phase structures are composed of thin sheet-like nanocrystals. The detailed time-dependent experiments illustrate that flowerlike architectures evolve from solid spheres via an Ostwald ripening process and the effects of the concentration of ascorbic acid and indium precursor on the phase and morphology evolution of In Se flowerlike architectures are intensively studied. Meanwhile, the electrical property of the γ-InSe film is investigated and the conductivity of the film is 2.6 × 10 S cm. Considering the difficulty in the preparation of indium selenides arising from various phases and versatile stoichiometries, the successful synthesis of pure InSe in this work would be of much scientific significance. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.