White light emitting silicon nanocrystals as nanophosphor

We exploited the practical sonochemical route for preparing silicon nanocrystals at room temperature and ambient pressure. This synthesis provided the very fast reaction within a few hours and the useful modification for the surface of silicon nanoparticles. The average size of prepared nanocrystals was 2.8 nm and confirmed by TEM images. The chlorine‐capped nanoparticles were characterized by FT‐IR spectroscopy. The luminescence of silicon colloid was observed in the wide range between 340 nm and near 700 nm and showed white color with commercial low‐intensity UV‐lamp exposure. This synthetic strategy is potentially applicable for illuminating devices such as white light emitting diodes. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)