Publication date: 15th May 2025
Ge nanoparticles are a promising class of materials for applications in optoelectronics, Li-ion
batteries, and photoluminescence imaging.[1] Ge is a quintessential and relatively non-toxic near-
IR-bandgap material, yet the synthetic chemistry of Ge nanoparticle colloids is underdeveloped
compared to more common quantum dot materials. Our work investigates the factors affecting
the size, size distribution, morphology and crystallinity of Ge nanoparticles synthesized from Ge
iodides in oleylamine; in particular, we have studied the addition of alkyllithium and amide
Brønsted bases to the system. Our results show that increasing strength and concentration of
base in the precursor systematically results in smaller crystallite sizes in the products. Particle
size analysis via TEM has revealed that many samples prepared using the Brønsted base
exhibit a bimodal distribution, which can be explained by aggregative growth. These results
suggest that the Brønsted bases enhance the rate of nucleation and growth. NMR experiments
on the precursor solutions have revealed that Ge-oleylamide complexes are formed at room
temperature, as the base deprotonates oleylamine. We hypothesize that these amide
complexes decompose rapidly upon heating, which explains the trend in crystallite size from the
synthesis experiments. Further work is underway to eliminate the bimodal size distribution by
varying other synthetic parameters, such as Ge halide concentration and temperature.
Funding for this project has come from the NSF grant CHE-2402820.
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