Abstract
Ionic liquids are considered to be versatile solvents and mediums in which certain chemical reactions and physical processes can take place. Here we report how ionic liquids acting as a collection medium for sputtered nanoparticles/quantum dots are not necessarily inert and stable during deposition and may lead to possible misinterpretation of the nanoparticle optical properties. By depositing Si nanoparticles in 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide ([C4mpyrr][Tf2N]), we demonstrated that the color change observed upon sputtering was related to the electrochemical decomposition of the [C4mpyrr] cation and not to the presence of Si nanoparticles. Furthermore, a gelation of the medium is observed and is proposed to occur through interaction between the silicon nanoparticles and the ionic liquid and is facilitated by the presence of water.
Accepted Version
Published Version
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