A method for synthesizing nanocrystals, comprising: forming a reaction mixture in a reaction vessel while stirring under an inert-gas atmosphere at a temperature in a range from 35 °C to 130 °C, the reaction mixture including: at least one inert solvent, a cationic precursor, an anionic precursor, and at least a first surface stabilizing ligand capable of at least one of binding to ionic precursor materials in the reaction mixture or binding to one or more surfaces of growing nanocrystals in the reaction mixture; and growing nanocrystals in the reaction mixture for a period of time between 1 minute and 96 hours while maintaining the temperature, the stirring, and the inert-gas atmosphere, wherein: the at least one inert solvent comprises at least one of an alkane, an alkene, a phenyl ether, a chloro alkane, a fluoro alkane, toluene, or squalene, the at least one inert solvent having a boiling point in a range from 80 °C to 350 °C, 100 °C to 300 °C, or 110 °C to 280 °C; the cationic precursor includes: at least one organometallic compound of cadmium, lead, zinc, mercury, gold, silver, cobalt, platinum, nickel, iron, or copper, at least a second surface stabilizing ligand that may be the same as or different than the first surface stabilizing ligand, and at least one inert solvent; the anionic precursor includes: at least one sulfide, selenide, telluride, oxide, phosphide, nitride, or arsenide, at least one anionic precursor ligand, and at least one inert solvent. forming a reaction mixture in a reaction vessel while stirring under an inert-gas atmosphere at a temperature in a range from 35 °C to 130 °C, the reaction mixture including: at least one inert solvent, a cationic precursor, an anionic precursor, and at least a first surface stabilizing ligand capable of at least one of binding to ionic precursor materials in the reaction mixture or binding to one or more surfaces of growing nanocrystals in the reaction mixture; and at least one inert solvent, a cationic precursor, an anionic precursor, and at least a first surface stabilizing ligand capable of at least one of binding to ionic precursor materials in the reaction mixture or binding to one or more surfaces of growing nanocrystals in the reaction mixture; and growing nanocrystals in the reaction mixture for a period of time between 1 minute and 96 hours while maintaining the temperature, the stirring, and the inert-gas atmosphere, wherein: the at least one inert solvent comprises at least one of an alkane, an alkene, a phenyl ether, a chloro alkane, a fluoro alkane, toluene, or squalene, the at least one inert solvent having a boiling point in a range from 80 °C to 350 °C, 100 °C to 300 °C, or 110 °C to 280 °C; the cationic precursor includes: at least one organometallic compound of cadmium, lead, zinc, mercury, gold, silver, cobalt, platinum, nickel, iron, or copper, at least a second surface stabilizing ligand that may be the same as or different than the first surface stabilizing ligand, and at least one inert solvent; the anionic precursor includes: at least one sulfide, selenide, telluride, oxide, phosphide, nitride, or arsenide, at least one anionic precursor ligand, and at least one inert solvent. the at least one inert solvent comprises at least one of an alkane, an alkene, a phenyl ether, a chloro alkane, a fluoro alkane, toluene, or squalene, the at least one inert solvent having a boiling point in a range from 80 °C to 350 °C, 100 °C to 300 °C, or 110 °C to 280 °C; the cationic precursor includes: at least one organometallic compound of cadmium, lead, zinc, mercury, gold, silver, cobalt, platinum, nickel, iron, or copper, at least a second surface stabilizing ligand that may be the same as or different than the first surface stabilizing ligand, and at least one inert solvent; at least one organometallic compound of cadmium, lead, zinc, mercury, gold, silver, cobalt, platinum, nickel, iron, or copper, at least a second surface stabilizing ligand that may be the same as or different than the first surface stabilizing ligand, and at least one inert solvent; the anionic precursor includes: at least one sulfide, selenide, telluride, oxide, phosphide, nitride, or arsenide, at least one anionic precursor ligand, and at least one inert solvent. at least one sulfide, selenide, telluride, oxide, phosphide, nitride, or arsenide, at least one anionic precursor ligand, and at least one inert solvent.