The isolated flat silicon nanocrystals (2D structures) stabilized with perfluorophenyl ligands

Flat silicon nanocrystals coated with the perfluorophenyl ligands have been obtained. Flat silicon nanocrystals are formed due to specific interactions between the perfluorophenyl ligands. The fact of binding of the perfluorophenyl ligands to the surface of silicon nanoparticles is supported by XPS and FTIR spectroscopy. Morphology and structure of the synthesized Si-nanoparticles were studied using transmission electron microscopy. The samples comprise two types of nanoparticles: spherical and flat (2D structures). Electron diffraction pattern demonstrates that spherical Si-nanoparticles are amorphous. The spot diffraction patterns are observed for flat Si-nanoparticles which have the crystalline structure. The size of these particles varies from 15 to 50 nm. The thickness of flat nanocrystals was evaluated using atomic force microscopy; it appeared to be close to 3.3 nm in average. Small and large silicon nanoparticles are interrelated; large flat plates are the products of aggregation and crystallization of small nanoparticles. Nanocrystals exhibit photoluminescence with the emission maximum at 430 nm. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.