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The evolution of pseudo-spherical silicon nanocrystals to tetrahedra, mediated by phosphonic acid surfactants
Christopher A Barrett1, Calum Dickinson, S Ahmed
1Materials and Surface Science Institute and Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Republic of Ireland.
Abstract:
Silicon nanocrystals were synthesized at high temperatures and high pressures by the thermolysis of diphenylsilane using a combination of supercritical carbon dioxide and phosphonic acid surfactants. Size and shape evolution from pseudo-spherical silicon nanocrystals to well-faceted tetrahedral-shaped silicon crystals with edge lengths in the range of 30-400 nm were observed with sequentially decreasing surfactant chain lengths. The silicon nanocrystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman scattering spectroscopy.

