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Direct gas-phase synthesis of single-phase β-FeSi2 nanoparticles

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Abstract

For the first time, phase-pure β-FeSi2 nanoparticles were successfully produced by gas-phase synthesis. We present a method to fabricate larger quantities of semiconducting β-FeSi2 nanoparticles, with crystallite sizes between 10 and 30 nm, for solar and thermoelectric applications utilizing a hot-wall reactor. A general outline for the production of those particles by thermal decomposition of silane and iron pentacarbonyl is provided based on kinetic data. The synthesized particles are investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, providing evidence that the as-prepared materials are indeed β-FeSi2, while revealing morphological characteristics inherent to the nanoparticles created.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), grant 03SF0402A (NADNuM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IVG, Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics – Reactive Fluids, University of Duisburg-Essen, 47048, Duisburg, Germany

    Robert Bywalez, Hans Orthner, Ervin Mehmedovic & Hartmut Wiggers

  2. Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons and Peter Grünberg Institute 5, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany

    Robert Imlau, Andras Kovacs & Martina Luysberg

  3. CENIDE, Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, 47048, Duisburg, Germany

    Hartmut Wiggers

Authors
  1. Robert Bywalez
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  2. Hans Orthner
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  3. Ervin Mehmedovic
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  4. Robert Imlau
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  5. Andras Kovacs
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  6. Martina Luysberg
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  7. Hartmut Wiggers
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Correspondence to Robert Bywalez.

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Bywalez, R., Orthner, H., Mehmedovic, E. et al. Direct gas-phase synthesis of single-phase β-FeSi2 nanoparticles. J Nanopart Res 15, 1878 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1878-9

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