use in the semiconductor materials te samples were synthesized employing solution phase and sonochemical synthesis methods the samples were then characterized structurally chemically electrically and thermally for evaluation of the materials properties core shell nanocrystals permit manipulation of physical parameters by forming metallic and semiconducting coatings around the nanocrystals to produce additional quantum confined states at these interfaces a solution phase synthesis approach is the best approach in producing large batches of phase pure nanoscale powders of chalcogenides chalcogenide compounds lend themselves to the development of core shell nanocrystalline bulk composite materials synthesis the approach has been previously described c b murray et al u201c synthesis and characterization of monodisperse nanocrystals and closed packed nanocrystal assemblies u201d annu rev mater sci 30 545 2000 and is optimized to produce large quantities of pbte and pbse nanocrystals required for the nanocomposite formation pbte was used as an exemplary material however other nanocomposites are envisioned without limiting the invention examples include semiconductor semiconductor composites metal metal composites and metal non metal composites such as pbse pbse u2014 pbte sbte 2 u2014 pbte agsbte 2 u2014 pbse and alloys of pbte and pbse such as pbsn x se 1 x integration of core shell nanocrystals into bulk materials suggests new possibilities for u2018 tuning u2019 interfacial energy barriers and observing the affect on the transport properties core shell nanocomposite thermoelectric materials.