Blue luminescence from amorphous GaN nanoparticles synthesized <i>in situ</i> in a polymer

Abstract

Amorphous GaN nanoparticles were synthesized by the in situ thermal decomposition of cyclotrigallazane incorporated into a polystyrene–poly(N,N-dimethyl-4-vinylaniline) copolymer. Transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show that the composite material consists of amorphous GaN nanoparticles (average diameter ∼40 nm) well dispersed in the copolymer. The photoluminescence spectra show blue light emission from the amorphous GaN nanoparticles, peaked at ∼426 nm.