Abstract
The synthesis of size-monodispersed indium nanoparticles via an innovative simultaneous phase transfer and ripening method is reported. The formation of nanoparticles occurs in a one-step process instead of well-known two-step phase transfer approaches. The synthesis involves the reduction of InCl3 with LiBH4 at ambient temperature and although the reduction occurs at room temperature, fine indium nanoparticles, with a mean diameter of 6.4 ± 0.4 nm, were obtained directly in non-polar n-dodecane. The direct synthesis of indium nanoparticles in n-dodecane facilitates their fast formation and enhances their size-monodispersity. In addition, the nanoparticles were highly stable for more than 2 months. The nanoparticles were characterised by dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to determine their morphology, structure and phase purity.
Highlights
Indium nanoparticles have been widely used as seeding particles for the growth of III-V semiconductor nanowires via solution or vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanisms (Wang et al 2006; Strupeit et al 2009; Zhang et al 2015b)
In addition to the synthesis of III-V semiconductor nanowires, ligand-free indium nanoparticles have been successfully used as heterogeneous catalysts in the allylation of various carbonyl compounds (Dorn et al 2016)
The small mean particle diameter obtained in our approach, compared to nanoparticles synthesised by standard high-temperature methods, can be attributed to the saturation of DMF with TBPstabilised In(0) species, where nucleation is inhibited by the stabilising effect of TBP
Summary
Indium nanoparticles have been widely used as seeding particles for the growth of III-V semiconductor nanowires via solution or vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanisms (Wang et al 2006; Strupeit et al 2009; Zhang et al 2015b). In a two-step synthesis approach, the indium nanoparticles, initially synthesised by NaBH4 reduction of InCl3.4H2O in diethylene glycol at 100 °C, were transferred to a nonpolar medium via oleylamine (particle diameters between 10 and 12 nm) (Hammarberg and Feldmann 2009). The only example of colloidal solutions of indium nanoparticles in non-polar solvents such as pentane or dodecane has been reported involving a two-step synthesis method, via the phase transfer of initially synthesised indium nanoparticles in a polar solvent with particle diameters between 10 and 12 nm. We report the direct, single-step formation of highly stable size-monodispersed indium nanoparticles with a mean particle size of 6.4 ± 0.4 nm in a non-polar medium through the reduction of anhydrous InCl3 with LiBH4 at room temperature using an innovative simultaneous phase transfer and ripening method. A capillary filled with D2O was used for deuterium lock
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