The α-SeNPs used as a precursor for semiconductor synthesis were synthesized by borohydride reduction of SeO3 2-following the method of Nath et al. (2004). Briefly, we added 100 µL of a 10 mM HNaSeO3 (aq) stock to 900 µL of 10 mM NaBH4 (aq) on ice in 1.5 mL polystyrene microcentrifuge tubes. A color change from colorless to a red/orange (indicating α-SeNP formation) was observed (typically within 5 minutes). These α-SeNPs were characterized for size and dispersity.