Patent ID: 8759053

Claim:
A method for producing non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, the method comprising: (a) subjecting a combination of reaction components to conditions conducive to microbially-mediated formation of non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, wherein said combination of reaction components comprises i) anaerobic thermophilic metal-reducing microbes selected from Thermoanaerobacter, Thermoanaerobium, Thermoterrabacterium, Thermococci , and Deinococcus - Thermus , ii) a culture medium suitable for sustaining said anaerobic microbes, iii) a chalcophile metal component comprising at least one type of metal ion that is microbially non-reducible selected from Cd, Cu, Ga, In, and Zn, iv) a non-metal component containing at least one non-metal selected from the group consisting of S, Se, and Te, wherein said non-metal component does not include sulfate, and v) one or more electron donors that provide donatable electrons to said anaerobic microbes during consumption of the electron donor by said anaerobic microbes; and (b) isolating said non-oxide semiconductor nanoparticles, which have a composition selected from CdS, CdSe, CdTe, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, Ga 2 S 3 , Ga 2 Se 3 , Ga 2 Te 3 , In 2 S 3 , In 2 Se 3 , In 2 Te 3 , Ga x In 2-x Se 3 , CuS, CuSe, CuTe, Cd x Zn 1-x Se, Cd x Zn 1-x Te, CuIn x Ga 1-x S 2 , CuIn x Ga 1-x Se 2 , CuGaS 2 , CuInS 2 , CuGaSe 2 , and CuInSe 2 , wherein x is an integral or non-integrel numerical value greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.