Zintl Clusters as Wet‐Chemical Precursors for Germanium Nanomorphologies with Tunable Composition

Abstract

Abstract [Ge 9 ] 4− Zintl clusters are used as soluble germanium source for a bottom–up fabrication of Ge nanomorphologies such as inverse opal structures with tunable composition. The method is based on the assembly and oxidation of [Ge 9 ] 4− clusters in a template mold using SiCl 4 , GeCl 4 , and PCl 3 leading to Si and P‐containing Ge phases as shown by X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis. [Ge 9 ] 4− clusters are retained using ethylenediamine (en) as a transfer medium to a mold after removal of the solvent if water is thoroughly excluded, but are oxidized to amorphous Ge in presence of water traces. 1 H NMR spectroscopy reveals the oxidative deprotonation of en by [Ge 9 ] 4− . Subsequent annealing leads to crystalline Ge. As an example for wet‐chemical synthesis of complex Ge nanomorphologies, we describe the fabrication of undoped and P‐doped inverse opal‐structured Ge films with a rather low oxygen contents. The morphology of the films with regular volume porosity is characterized by SEM, TEM, and grazing incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering.