Annealing-induced structural transformation of gelatin-capped Se nanoparticles

Selenium nanoparticles were obtained by a new facile synthetic route from gelatin-stabilized aqueous colloidal solutions. The dependence of structural and optical properties of the nanoparticles upon duration of post-synthesis thermal treatment of Se sols was studied by optical absorption, photoluminescence and Raman scattering. We have shown that ageing of colloidal Se solutions at elevated temperatures results in an enlargement and crystallization of selenium nanoparticles, accompanied with noticeable changes in their optical spectra: an enhancement of the photoluminescence of the NPs, incorporated in gelatin films; a “red” shift of both the absorption threshold and emission band maximum; appearance of new peaks in Raman spectra, attributed to the formation of the crystalline phase in the course of the ageing.