Tellurium Precursor for Nanocrystal Synthesis: Tris(dimethylamino)phosphine Telluride.

Sun, Haochen; Wang, Fudong; Buhro, William E · ACS Nano · 2018

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Preparations of CdTe quantum platelets, magic-size (CdTe)<sub>13</sub> nanoclusters, and CdTe quantum wires are described using (Me<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>PTe (with (Me<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>P) as a Te precursor. The (Me<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>PTe/(Me<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>P precursor mixture is shown to be more reactive than mixtures of trialkylphosphine tellurides and the corresponding trialkylphosphines, R<sub>3</sub>PTe/R<sub>3</sub>P, which are commonly employed in nanocrystal syntheses. For syntheses conducted in primary amine solvents, (Me<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>PTe and (Me<sub>2</sub>N)<sub>3</sub>P undergo a transamination reaction, affording (Me<sub>2</sub>N) <sub>x</sub>(RHN)<sub>3- x</sub>PTe and (Me<sub>2</sub>N) <sub>x</sub>(RHN)<sub>3- x</sub>P (R = n-octyl or oleyl). The transaminated (Me<sub>2</sub>N) <sub>x</sub>(RHN)<sub>3- x</sub>PTe derivatives are shown to be the likely Te precursors under those conditions. The enhanced reactivities of the tris(amino)phosphine tellurides are ascribed to increased nucleophilicity due to the amino-N lone pairs.