Synthesis of blue luminescent Si nanoparticles using atmospheric-pressure microdischarges

Silicon nanoparticles are synthesized from a mixture of argon/silane in a continuous flow atmospheric-pressure microdischarge reactor. Particles nucleate and grow to a few nanometers (1-3 nm) in diameter before their growth is abruptly terminated in the short residence time microreactor. Narrow size distributions are obtained as inferred from size classification and imaging. As-grown Si nanoparticles collected in solution exhibit room-temperature photoluminescence that peaks at 420 nm with a quantum efficiency of 30%; the emission is stable for months in ambient air.