Nonthermal Plasma Synthesis of Gallium Nitride Nanoparticles: Implications for Optical and Electronic Applications

Group III nitrides, such as gallium nitride (GaN), play an important role in electroluminescent devices and power electronics. They are also increasingly used as photocatalysts and battery materials. In pursuit of increased flexibility and reduced cost, there are many attempts to synthesize these materials in nanocrystal form via a range of methods. In this work, we demonstrate the synthesis of GaN nanocrystals using radio-frequency nonthermal plasma. This method allows for control over both the crystallinity of the nanoparticles and their size. In addition, we see little change in the surface composition upon exposure to air, as evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. These results point to the promise of this method for effective group III nitride nanoparticle synthesis.