Sterically Encumbered Tris(trialkylsilyl) Phosphine Precursors for Quantum Dot Synthesis

The synthesis of nanomaterials with a narrow size distribution is challenging, especially for III–V semiconductor nanoparticles (also known as quantum dots). Concerning phosphides, this issue has been largely attributed the use of overly reactive precursors. The problem is exacerbated due to the narrow range of competent reagents for III–V semiconductor syntheses. We report the use of sterically encumbered tris(triethylsilyl) phosphine and tris(tributylsilyl) phosphine for InP quantum dot (QD) synthesis among others. The hypothesis was that these reagents are less reactive than the near-ubiquitous precursor tris(trimethylsilyl) phosphine and can be used to create more homogeneous materials. It was found that the InP products' quantum yields and emission color saturation (fwhm) were improved, but not to the levels realized in CdSe QDs. Regardless, these reagents have other positive attributes; they are less pyrophoric and can be applied toward the synthesis of II–V semiconductors and organophosphorus compounds. Concerning safe practices, we demonstrate that ammonium bifluoride is an effective replacement for highly toxic HF for the post-treatment of III–V semiconductor quantum dots.