Abstract

Investigations into replacing Me₂Cd as a common precursor for the synthesis of CdSe nanoparticles by pyrolysis in a hot coordinating solvent have proven that more stable, less volatile or even crystalline organometallic cadmium compounds can be used instead of Me₂Cd. Dineopentylcadmium, bis(3-diethylaminopropyl)cadmium and (2,2′-bipyridine)dimethylcadmium have been used successfully as cadmium sources for the preparation of tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO)-capped CdSe nanoparticles. The resulting nanocrystallites have been characterized by UV–VIS and IR spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), mass spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). They consist of separated, well defined spherical particles and show a small size distribution as well as a characterisitic blue shift due to quantum confinement in their optical spectra. The replacement of Me₂Cd by less dangerous organometallic precursors thus results in nanocrystallites that show no reduction in quality when compared to the standard method.