Reeling them in: Ph₂PSiMe₃ in the sequential formation of InP magic-sized clusters

Indium phosphide magic-sized clusters (MSCs) have been identified as a key step in the growth of InP quantum dots (QDs). However, the need for elevated temperatures to form QDs from MSCs has limited our understanding of this transformation. Herein, we utilize Ph₂PSiMe₃ to identify additional MSC intermediate species, which absorb from 365 nm to 490 nm. Excitingly, particle growth was carried out at 100 °C without the use of acidic surfactants. We show that despite being discrete, stable, and isolable sizes of MSCs, they form a reaction continuum, thus providing further insight into the growth mechanism of InP.