Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
The surface of freshly etched silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) was covalently bonded with alkyl groups and esters via thermally induced hydrosilylation. The surface chemistry of functionalized Si-NPs was analyzed at different air exposure time by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). We observed that the stability of functionalized Si-NPs significantly depends on the type of organic ligands attached to their surface. Ester-terminated Si-NPs exhibit higher stability compared to that are bonded with alkyl groups. We show that the use of esters with large spatial configuration causes a lower surface coverage of Si-NPs but at the same time offers better protection against surface oxidation.