Low-temperature solution route to macroscopic amounts of hydrogen terminated silicon nanoparticles.

A new solution route for preparing gram-scale, hydrogen terminated silicon nanoparticles is presented. Dimethoxyethane and diocytl ether have been used to prepare silicon nanoparticles via a solution reaction between sodium silicide and ammonium bromide. The reaction products are isolated as a clear yellow-orange solution and a dark black powder. Both the solution and the powder have been characterized.