Single molecular precursor for synthesis of GaAs nanoparticles

The dimer [Bu₂AsGaMe₂]₂ has been used as a precursor for the synthesis of GaAs nanoparticles in hexadecylamine (HDA), the first time that a single source organometallic precursor has been used to grow GaAs nanoparticles. The particles show intense absorptions with a considerable blue shift in their optical spectra as compared with parent bulk materials. Photoluminescence measurements on thin films of GaAs nanoparticles on a Si(100) substrate at 30 K and at helium temperature exhibit a significant difference in the luminescence efficiency. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) pattern shows the particles to be cubic GaAs, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirms the single crystalline nature of the dots with an average size ∼3.2 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDAX) measurements and microanalysis indicate that the stoichiometry of GaAs nanoparticles is close to ∼1:1.