Preparation of alkyl-surface functionalized germanium quantum dots via thermally initiated hydrogermylationElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: FT-IR spectra of the hydride terminated reaction intermediate and n-undecyl surface Ge nanoclusters. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b3/b314887d/

Abstract

A new, thermally initiated hydrogermylation-based method for the synthesis and surface functionalization of air- and moisture-stable germanium quantum dots is reported.

Size and emission color tuning in the solution phase synthesis of highly luminescent germanium nanocrystals

“…The wide variety of synthetic strategies reported, together with broad particle size distributions, different ligand passivation strategies and varying degrees of surface oxidation have all contributed to the lack of consensus. 1,9,29,[33][34][35] The underlying mechanism is usually described in terms of quantum size effects where the electronhole pairs are well confined within the nanocrystal core, a surface chemistry model that emphasizes the importance of species at the nanocrystal surface, or a combination of both. The marked size dependency observed in the UV-Vis absorption spectra shown in Figure 4 agrees well with the quantum confinement model.…”

“…32 Veinot and coworkers later produced hydride-terminated Ge NCs with an average diameter of 5 nm via reduction of GeI 4 with LiAlH 4 using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant. 33 Subsequent modification of the NC surface by thermally initiated hydrogermylation resulted in alkyl terminated NCs. Warner and Tilley prepared size monodisperse 5 nm Ge NCs by reducing GeCl 4 within tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOAB) micelles, modifying the surface of the assynthesized Ge NCs using a Pt-catalyzed hydrogermylation reaction to form allylamine-terminated NCs with covalent Ge-C bonds.…”

Treatment of TiO2 with COOH‐Functionalized Germanium Nanoparticles to Enhance the Photocurrent of Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

“…Figure 1 shows the preparation of the COOH‐functionalized germanium nanoparticles (Ge‐COOH Nps) 12a. f For their preparation, 0.5 g of GeI 4 was dissolved in 100 mL of dehydrated toluene containing 0.5 g of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). To this solution, an excess of 1.0 M LiAlH 4 in THF was added to form the Ge Nps.…”

Efficient one-pot synthesis of monodisperse alkyl-terminated colloidal germanium nanocrystals

“…This approach, first reported by Wilcoxon et al for the preparation of hydride terminated NCs (Wilcoxon et al 2001), was later adapted using either thermally activated or Pt-catalysed hydrogermylation reactions to form alkyl-and amineterminated NCs with covalent Ge-C surface bonds (Carolan and Doyle 2014;Fok et al 2004;Prabakar et al 2010). Despite the successes of the microemulsion synthetic approach for preparation of high quality, size monodisperse Ge NCs, the post synthetic purification remains lengthy, while the Pt catalyst used is toxic to cells ).…”