TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The chalcogenide source is a chalcogenide powder (preferably selenium powder) that is insoluble in the solvent at the first temperature, or sulfur powder. The metal chalcogenide nanocrystals is cadmium selenide (preferably having zinc blende crystal structure), cadmium sulfide (preferably having said wurtzite crystal structure), zinc selenide or cadmium telluride nanocrystals. The metal chalcogenide nanocrystals include at least one of the two different metals and/or chalcogenides.Preferred Method: The method further involves at least one nucleation initiator that controls several stable nuclei initiated in the heating step.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Components: The metal chalcogenide nanocrystals are selected from zinc sulfide, mercury sulfide, mercury selenide, mercury telluride, Cd1-n-HgnSe, Cd1-n-HgnTe, Cd1-n-HgnS, Cd1-nHgnSe1-mSm, Cd1-nZnnS, Cd1-nZnnSe, Cd1-nZnnTe, Cd1-nZnnTe1-mSem and Cd1-nZnnSe1-mSm; and are doped or alloy nanocrystals selected from the group consisting of Cd1-nXnC1 or Zn1-nXn C1. The metal chalcogenide nanocrystals have the zinc blende or wurtzite crystal structure.C1=sulfur, selenium or tellurium;X= manganese, copper, chromium, cobalt, iron, nickel, transition metals or rare earths.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal source comprises cadmium myristate, zinc myristate or cadmium octadecylphosphonate. The chalcogenide precursor is tributylphosphine telluride (TBPTe). The solvent is octadecene. The initiator comprises a thiazole, dithiocarbamate, benzeneselenol, diphenyldiselenide, BHT, diphenyldtelluride, benzenetellunol and/or their derivatives, tetraethylthiuram disulfide and dithiobisbenzothiazole. EXAMPLE - A mixture solution of zinc myristate (0.125 mmol), selenium powder (0.0625 mmol) and 1-octadecene (6.26 g) was degassed for 10 min under vacuum (30 mTorr) at room temperature. Under argon flow, the solution was then heated to 300degreesC. Zinc selenide nanocrystals were formed with temperature increasing.