Blue luminescence from amorphous GaN nanoparticles synthesized in situ in a polymer

Amorphous GaN nanoparticles were synthesized by the in situ thermal decompo sition of cyclotrigallazane incorporated into a polystyrene-poly(N,N-dimeth yl-4-vinylaniline) copolymer. Transmission electron microscopy, energy disp ersive x-ray spectrometry, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy show that t he composite material consists of amorphous GaN nanoparticles (average diam eter similar to 40 nm) well dispersed in the copolymer. The photoluminescen ce spectra show blue light emission from the amorphous GaN nanoparticles, p eaked at similar to 426 nm. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003- 6951(99)02616-9].