Eur. Phys. J. B 41, 49-53 (2004)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2004-00292-8

Influence of polar solvent on light-emitting property of SiO_x (x = 1.2-1.6) nanoparticles irradiated by ultraviolet ozone

National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 and Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China

Corresponding author: ^a hkxlwu@nju.edu.cn

Received: 1 March 2004
Revised: 25 June 2004
Published online: 30 September 2004

Abstract

SiO_x (x = 1.2-1.6) powder with nanoparticle sizes of 5-15 nm was irradiated by ultraviolet ozone (UVO), followed by immersion into polar solvent to form a sol-like sample for investigating the influence of a polar solvent on light-emitting property of SiO_x nanoparticles. Photoluminescence (PL) spectral examinations reveal that the intensity of a broad blue-emitting band peaked at around 420 nm strongly depends upon UVO irradiation and meanwhile relates with the solvent polarity. PL excitation spectral analysis and Fourier-transform infrared absorption measurements suggest that the blue PL band arise from optical transition in the –OH binding states (possibly H bonds to the interstitial oxygen) at the surfaces of SiO_x nanoparticles, which are induced by the interaction of polar solvent with SiO_x nanoparticles. This work clearly indicates that we cannot ignore the influence of solvent polarity on the light-emitting property of a composite of organic material and inorganic nanocrystals.