Patent ID: 8029698

Claim:
A method for preparing photoluminescent silicon nanoparticles having uniformly hydrogen-terminated surfaces that are essentially free of residual oxygen, said method comprising: providing a plurality of silicon nanoparticles; acid etching the silicon nanoparticles with an acid mixture comprising about 80 to 95 volume percent of a concentrated hydrofluoric acid solution and about 5 to 20 volume percent of a nitric acid solution, wherein said concentrated hydrofluoric acid solution comprises about 40 to 55 weight percent of hydrofluoric acid and said concentrated nitric acid solution comprises about 60 to 75 weight percent of nitric acid under conditions effective to produce photoluminescent silicon nanoparticles; and rinsing the photoluminescent silicon nanoparticles with a rinsing mixture comprising water and methanol under conditions effective to yield photoluminescent silicon nanoparticles having uniformly hydrogen-terminated surfaces that are essentially free of residual oxygen.