The role of water in the synthesis of indium nanoparticles†
Abstract
We report the water-assisted synthesis of indium nanoparticles (In NPs). We found that a precise amount of water was necessary to allow the formation of the desired 7 nm In NPs: the oxidation of the In surface by water inhibits the growth of NPs as well as subsequent reactivity with white phosphorus (P4). A novel surface activation method based on the use of organosilanes is presented.