Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Indium arsenide colloids have been prepared by passing arsine through an aqueous solution of the metal nitrate. Similar experiments with gallium solutions produced an extremely fine precipitate which has been tentatively identified as amorphous gallium arsenide. Attempts to precipitate aluminium arsenide from aqueous solutions or mixed organic solvent systems were unsuccessful. The materials were characterised by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and and optical absorption spectroscopy.