Room-temperature reaction of laser-photolytically generated Te nanosols with silver

KrF laser photolysis of diphenyl ditelluride in 2-propanol yields a stable solution of tellurium nanosols, which reacts with immersed Ag sheets to yield thin silver telluride films. The nanosols were identified by UV–vis spectroscopy and the films were characterized by electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It is revealed that the films are mostly amorphous and contain small contributions of cubic as well as monoclinic Ag2Te structures. The procedure provides the first example of the fast formation of silver telluride thin films by reaction between the elements in inert solvent at room-temperature.