Face-centered-cubic Si nanocrystals prepared by microsecond pulsed laser ablation

Nonagglomerated Si nanocrystals with face-centered-cubic (fcc) crystal structure was synthesized by microsecond pulse laser ablation in water. The long pulse width of the adopted laser is propitious to generating a high-temperature-and-high-pressure ambient, which is responsible for the formation of fcc Si nanocrystals. The fcc Si suspension exhibits a broad photoluminescence band in visible range and shows potential application in biological and medical fields.