A mild reduction–phosphidation approach to nanocrystalline GaP

Nanocrystalline gallium phosphide (GaP) has been prepared through a reduction–phosphidation by using Ga, PCl3 as gallium and phosphorus sources and metallic sodium as reductant at 350 °C. The XRD pattern can be indexed as cublic GaP with the lattice constant of a=5.446 Å. The TEM image shows particle-like polycrystals and flake-like single crystals. The PL spectrum exhibits one peak at 330 nm for the as-prepared nanocrystalline GaP.