II V (II: Zn, Cd; V: P, As) Semiconductors: From Bulk Solids to Colloidal Nanocrystals.

II V semiconductors have become increasingly popular for a variety of applications including solar light harvesting, near-IR imaging, and low energy light detection. The bulk physical and electronic structure of these materials is highlighted, followed by an in-depth survey on progress in synthesizing these semiconductors as colloidal nanocrystals. Interestingly, no universal synthetic approach has yet been developed to access all compounds within this family. A discussion on how the complex crystal structure of these materials translates to small domain sizes will highlight current challenges in the characterization of II V nanocrystals. Finally, potential avenues for further research will be proposed as a way to advance this field towards greater utilization in light harvesting applications.