Low temperature radical initiated hydrosilylation of silicon quantum dots. (27th February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Koh, Timothy T.; Huang, Tingting; Schwan, Joseph; Xia, Pan; Roberts, Sean T.; Mangolini, Lorenzo; Tang, Ming L.
• Is Part Of: Faraday discussions. Volume 222(2019)
• Page Start: 190
• Page End: 200
• Publication Date: 2020-02-27
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1039/c9fd00144a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6640

Abstract

Abstract : Non-thermal plasma synthesized silicon QDs are functionalized with aromatic and aliphatic ligands using a 2, 2′-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) AIBN radical initiator with hydrosilylation at 60 °C for photon upconversion. Abstract : The photophysics of silicon quantum dots (QDs) is not well understood despite their potential for many optoelectronic applications. One of the barriers to the study and widespread adoption of Si QDs is the difficulty in functionalizing their surface, to make, for example, a solution-processable electronically-active colloid. While thermal hydrosilylation of Si QDs is widely used, the high temperature typically needed may trigger undesirable side-effects, like uncontrolled polymerization of the terminal alkene. In this contribution, we show that this high-temperature method for installing aromatic and aliphatic ligands on non-thermal plasma-synthesized Si QDs can be replaced with a low-temperature, radical-initiated hydrosilylation method. Materials prepared via this low-temperature route perform similarly to those created via high-temperature thermal hydrosilylation when used in triplet fusion photon upconversion systems, suggesting the utility of low-temperature, radical-initiated methods for creating Si QDs with a range of functional behavior.