The shell matters: one step synthesis of core-shell silicon nanoparticles with room temperature ultranarrow emission linewidth

Faraday Discussions
Anna FucikovaJan Linnros

Abstract

Here we present a one-step synthesis that provides silicon nanocrystals with a thin shell composed of a ceramic-like carbonyl based compound, embedded in a porous organosilicon film. The silicon nanocrystals were synthesised from hydrogen silsesquioxane molecules, modified with organic molecules containing carbonyl groups, which were annealed at 1000 °C in a slightly reducing 5% H2 : 95% Ar atmosphere. The organic character of the shell was preserved after annealing due to trapping of organic molecules inside the HSQ-derived oxide matrix that forms during the annealing. The individual silicon nanocrystals, studied by single dot spectroscopy, exhibited a significantly narrower emission peak at room temperature (lowest linewidth ∼ 17 meV) compared to silicon nanocrystals embedded in a silicon oxide shell (150 meV). Their emission linewidths are even significantly narrower than those of single CdSe quantum dots (>50 meV). It is hypothesized that the Si-core-thin shell structure of the nanoparticle is responsible for the unique optical properties. Its formation within one synthesis step opens new opportunities for silicon-based quantum dots. The luminescence from the produced nanocrystals covers a broad spectral range from 530-720 ...Continue Reading

References

Apr 17, 2002·Physical Review Letters·Germar SchlegelAlf Mews
Jan 25, 2005·Nature Materials·Robert J WaltersHarry A Atwater
Mar 24, 2005·Physical Review Letters·Ilya SychugovJan Linnros
Dec 31, 2008·Nano Letters·Chin-Yi LiuUwe R Kortshagen
Nov 3, 2010·Chemical Communications : Chem Comm·Joel A KellyJonathan G C Veinot
May 20, 2016·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Tapas K PurkaitJonathan G C Veinot
Jan 1, 1997·Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology·G W CaskeyB R Borchardt
Jun 6, 2017·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Muhammad Amirul IslamJonathan G C Veinot
Nov 10, 2017·Small·Bart van DamKaterina Dohnalová

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BETA
infrared spectroscopy

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Origin8
Andor Solis

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