Characterization of luminescent silicon carbide nanocrystals prepared by reactive bonding and subsequent wet chemical etching

Fabrication of nanosized silicon carbide crystals is a crucial aspect for many biomedical applications. Here, we report an effective fabrication method of silicon carbide nanocrystals based on the reactive bonding method followed by electroless wet chemical etching. Our samples show strong violet-blue emission in the 410-450 nm region depending on the used solvents. Raman and infrared measurements unraveled the surface bonding structure of the fabricated nanoparticles being different from silicon carbide microcrystals. This might give an opportunity to use standard chemistry methods for biological functionalization of such nanoparticles. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3663220]