Preparation of functional group 14 nanomaterials via thermolysis of sol-gel derived precursors

半导体纳米晶(NCS)是一种独特的材料，具有尺寸相关的光学、电子和化学性质。典型的CdSe纳米碳管的化学和光物理已经得到了很好的发展和广泛的了解。因此，这些材料在许多应用中显示出作为活性体系的前景。尽管这些材料具有良好的性能，但已知从这些材料中浸出的有毒镉离子对它们融入消费产品构成了巨大的障碍。作为回应，有人推动了“无镉量子点”研究计划。第14族NC(例如，Si、Ge、SiGe、SiC等)是有吸引力的替代品，部分原因是它们的光学和化学性质可调，稳定性和生物惰性。PSivida公司已经批准了FDA批准的基于Si-NC的药物输送系统，IBM已经将Si-NCS整合到非易失性存储设备中，并且加拿大在使用Si-NCS作为替代照明的有源材料方面进行了大量投资。有人提出，基于纳米硅的设备可能在2016年带来高达21亿美元的收入-这忽略了其他第14组NC应该表现出更好的设备指标的承诺。

Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) are unique materials that exhibit size dependent optical, electronic, and chemical properties. The chemistry and photophysics of prototypical CdSe NCs are well developed and largely understood. Consequently, these materials show promise as active systems in many applications. Despite favourable properties, toxic Cd ions, known to leach from these materials, pose a tremendous barrier to their integration into consumer products. In response, there is a push for "Cadmium-Free Quantum Dot" research programs. Group 14 NCs (e.g., Si, Ge, SiGe, SiC, etc.) are attractive alternatives in part because of their tunable optical and chemical properties, stability and bioinert nature. Already, pSivida Corporation has FDA approved Si-NC based drug delivery systems, IBM has incorporated Si-NCs into non-volatile memory devices, and there is significant Canadian investment in employing Si-NCs as active materials in alternative lighting. It has been suggested that devices based upon "nanosilicon" could lead to revenues as high as $2.1 billion US in 2016 - this neglects the promise of other Group 14 NCs that should exhibit improved device metrics.